For far too long, corruption in Albany has plagued the proper operation of our state government. In the last decade, the public's trust in leaders has been eroded by several convictions of legislators for crimes involving bribes and the misuse of taxpayers' funds.
On the heels of this reality, the budget deal reached between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature includes welcome change that all New Yorkers can look forward to seeing implemented.
After years of pushing for public ethics reform, the governor empanelled the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption last July to address weaknesses in the state's public corruption and campaign finance laws and restore the public trust. The commission quickly began investigations and released an interim set of policy recommendations in a December report.
Today, I am proud to confirm that a great deal of the commission's recommendations will soon become law due to their inclusion as Part H of this year's budget package. This law represents real public ethics reform for New York state and the most sweeping overhaul of Albany's political landscape in decades.
Prosecutors will now have the tools they need to clean up both the halls of the Capitol, as well as corrupt practices occurring on a local scale. Notably, the budget legislation creates a new felony crime of corrupting the government and raises crimes already on the books, such as bribery, to the level of felony violations.
Also, the crime of public corruption will escalate penalties for existing crimes when they occur in the context of improper conduct on the part of government officials or those attempting to curry their favor. Far more than a slap on the wrist, persons convicted of felonies under these sections will face a lifetime ban on ever holding a civil office, registering as a lobbyist or entering a contract with the state.
Not only will prosecutors have the power they need to root out corruption, but so too will the Board of Elections become an agency with real teeth in its oversight. The governor's proposed Enforcement Unit within the board is set to become law, with a new, independently appointed enforcement counsel charged to investigate complaints and hold wrongdoers accountable.
With a tie-breaking vote, the independent enforcement counsel will have the power to ensure that complaints can no longer stagnate due to deadlock and inefficiency. For too long, the BOE was ineffective in pursuing candidates who acted with disregard for the state's campaign finance laws. Now, with a dedicated Compliance Unit that will be tasked with reviewing the compliance of campaigns with financial disclosure rules, New York will enjoy a cleaner system of electoral politics.
Outside of the criminal realm, the public will now have an unprecedented level of transparency regarding the dealings of legislators in their outside employment.
For the first time, referrals of business to legislators by lobbyists will not go wholly unreported, shedding greater light on the dealings between the outside employers of legislators and the state. This important change will place the focus of elected officials back on their constituents and away from special interests seeking to make gains through hidden practices.
New Yorkers can feel more assured than ever that their government is truly working for the people. While it may take time to scrub Albany of the layers of corruption it currently functions under, those making efforts to do so now have the necessary power and tools to make clean government a reality. We have taken a large step forward in rightfully restoring the public's trust.
David Soares is the Albany County District Attorney and a member of the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption.