By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM – Gov. Andrew Cuomo has indicated he will not get involved in an examination of District Attorney Mary Rain’s fitness for office.

But if the courts take action, “that’s the best way to handle it...,” he said.

After his speech about his broadband program for the state, Cuomo met with reporters for a few minutes.

He was asked what the status was of his look into the question of Rain’s suitability as a district attorney after the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators passed resolution of no confidence in her which asked the governor’s office to examine the situation and possibly take unilateral action.

“The courts are looking into it now and I think if the legal system gives their opinion that’s the best way to handle it, rather than have a political branch make the decision,” the governor said. “So I’m interested to see what the court says after their investigation. If they find grounds for removal then I would have no problem with it.”

Rain has been enmeshed in controversy almost from the moment she took office.

She targeted the county administrator, Karen St, Hilaire, with a grand jury investigation claiming she misused funds that were supposed to be used solely for court purposes.

Her first indictment of former Clarkson soccer coach Oral “Nick” Hillary for the murder of a Potsdam boy in 2011 was thrown out by the county court judge, Jerome Richards, who accused her prosecutorial misconduct.

Personnel turnover in her office has been unusually high.

More recently she has been accused by former staff of threatening grand jury action against an assortment of individuals she disliked.

Cuomo said he was concerned about the case of a law intern in Rain’s office who prosecuted a felony before he got his credentials.

“I think the situation about the ADA who had not yet passed the bar is obviously a troubling situation that raises fundamental questions,” he said.