Fighting to Clean Up State & City Government with the Public Corruption Prevention and Enforcement Act
I've been outraged by the recent spate of scandals involving allegations of bribery and graft by several elected officials in State and City government. The ensuing criminal indictments, the latest in a seemingly unending torrent of criminal behavior by public officials in New York, undermine the public trust, reinforce the misconception that lawmakers are either crooks or clowns, and serve as urgent reminders of the need to maintain the highest ethical standards at all levels of government in New York.
I've long been an outspoken advocate in the Assembly for overdue reforms. That's why three years ago I joined with then-Senator Eric Schneiderman, worked in consultation with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance three years ago to introduce a bill called the Public Corruption Prevention and Enforcement Act (PCPEA). It will make it clear that public servants have a duty to provide faithful and honest public service; punish corrupt schemes to defraud the government; reform criminal bribery statutes and the "member item" appropriation process; enhance financial disclosure required of State officials; and strengthen campaign finance regulations.
After the recent criminal cases were reported, New York Daily News columnist Bill Hammond urged Governor Cuomo to "push through tighter restrictions on how candidates raise and spend campaign funds — with maximum disclosure — and create a new enforcement body with the independence and the juice to hold the pols accountable. He should get behind a proposal from Manhattan Assemblyman Micah Kellner, which would give local prosecutors the same anticorruption tools being put to such good use" by federal prosecutors.
Now the Governor has done exactly that.
He's introduced the Public Trust Act, which incorporates many of the provisions from the legislation I introduced, like enhanced penalties for public servants who participate in acts of bribery and increased disclosure and transparency in government, making it easier to stop future lawbreaking by lawmakers in its tracks.
I will continue to work to rebuild the public's faith in State government by doing everything that I can to help the Public Trust Act pass in the Assembly. Elected officials hold positions of public trust, and they have a duty to serve honestly the people they represent. The Public Trust Act will help create measures that help to keep that promise intact. Every honest legislator should welcome the Public Trust Act!