Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn’t legally tainted by Tuesday’s conviction of a former top aide on federal bribery and fraud charges.

During an election year, however, we hope voters remember the trial of Joseph Percoco, a man once likened to a brother by Cuomo, and Steven Aiello, an executive of Cor Development of Syracuse, who was charged with paying the bribes. The governor finds himself tainted by his choice of friends and willingness to turn a blind eye to his friends’ behavior. It’s amazing that a governor who so carefully controls his public persona didn’t notice one of his closest aides could use his personal relationship with the governor to enrich himself illegally without the governor knowing or at least suspecting wrongdoing. Percoco’s behavior certainly raises questions about Cuomo’s judgment and management style.

Even further, the trial uncovered administration officials using private email addresses to conduct state business in secret and about Percoco’s continued use of a state office even after he was supposed to have left government to lead Cuomo’s 2014 re-election campaign. Both are serious violations of the public trust that should be investigated further, though that isn’t likely to happen on the governor’s watch.

John DeFrancisco, a Republican state senator and candidate for governor, issued such a call about a week ago. DeFrancisco said it is illegal for campaign activities to occur in government offices and for state resources to be used for political activities. Percoco was assigned an office directly adjoining the governor’s and given full 24-hour-per-day security card access to the governor’s Manhattan suite in 2014 while serving as a paid political operative. Percoco made 837 calls over 68 days from a government phone. DeFrancisco got the political brush-off, with the press secretary for Eric Schneiderman, state attorney general, calling on DeFrancisco to champion ethics reforms while not committing to an investigation.

We hate to break it to Democrats in Albany, but taxpayers would certainly like to know if state laws were broken and if state taxpayer dollars were misused. There should be an investigation by someone with subpoena power, free from influence from the governor’s office.

That was supposed to happen with Cuomo’s 2013 Moreland Commission, until he disbanded it when the investigators started looking into his own campaign donors.

Not surprisingly, DeFrancisco has been on a roll lately in criticizing Cuomo. He also is sponsoring a bill proposed by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to restore the comptroller’s power to oversee contracts for state authorities as well as SUNY, CUNY and the state Office of General Services. That power was stripped in 2011, which made it easier for people like Percoco to get away with corruption.

When the senator criticized the governor for avoiding reporters — Cuomo is famous for dodging the press — the governor’s office called DeFrancisco a “hypocrite” in a statement to NewsChannel 9 in Syracuse.

“For decades, DeFrancisco has been the number one enemy of ethics reform in Albany, stopping bans on outside income, protecting the LLC loophole, and swearing in Pedro Espada as Senate president,” wrote Geoff Berman, executive director of the governor’s press office. “DeFrancisco is a hypocrite and New Yorkers can see right through him.”

We don’t like that DeFrancisco has waffled on the “LLC loophole,” which lets campaign donors exceed the maximum by using corporate shells. DeFrancisco has amassed one of the Senate’s largest campaign war chests. He recently told the Auburn Citizen he’s once again willing to consider closing it, but is he serious?

Nevertheless, Cuomo should be careful whom he calls a hypocrite on ethics.