EDITORIAL: State lawmakers must return to tackle corruption
Maybe so.
But that's not all Cuomo and state lawmakers should be concerned about. If any special session is held, leaders should address another key issue: Corruption.
The latest political derailment came with the
But the other, Austrian-based AMS, turned tail several months after Kaloyeros' arrest in 2016. And with it went plans for a
Kaloyeros was among four co-defendants convicted by a federal jury in
Prosecutors said Ciminelli and others in his company contributed nearly
Cuomo was not charged in the case or accused of any wrongdoing. Still, being surrounded by all this stink can't be a good thing.
Kaloyeros wasn't the only one in the Cuomo camp to get caught scheming. In March,
If indeed Cuomo had no clue what was going on here, one might wonder why. He was close to both men and put his faith in them, calling Kaloyeros his "economic guru" and Percoco, a "brother" and his "father's third son." He should at the very least be leading the charge for ethics reform.
Most egregious is that those recently convicted are only the tip of the corrupt
And just this past week, another one-time
Clearly
A few solutions
--Enhance the authority of the independently-elected state Comptroller to monitor spending. Early in the Cuomo term, the Comptroller's powers were cut back, which may have sent a powerful signal that executive branch employees would be able to do so as they please. The first step to reduce the risk of corruption -- restore and enhance the Comptroller's oversight powers.
--Dramatically improve public openness of state contracting.
--End "pay to play" campaign practices. Cuomo promised in 2010 that he would dramatically restrict the ability of those seeking government contracts to shower elected officials with campaign contributions. He has done little to achieve that goal. Now is the time to act.
These steps, and others -- like closing the
No more talk. Ethics reform must be a priority.
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