New York State Insider: [PRESS STATEMENT] Senator Biaggi Issues Statement Regarding Newly Released JCOPE Report.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 11th, 2022.

Senator Biaggi Issues Statement Regarding Newly Released JCOPE Report.

NEW YORK, NY – Last week, New York’s now defunct Joint Commission on Public Ethics voted to release a third-party investigative report detailing the process which led to JCOPE’s approval of “American Crisis,” former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s memoir on the COVID-19 pandemic. 

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx/Westchester) issued the following statement:

“It is no secret that since its creation, JCOPE has failed at every opportunity to serve as a truly independent ethics body and to uphold integrity in government. This report serves as a final reminder of the utter dysfunction and disappointment that JCOPE was– further illustrating how the Commission only served as a mouthpiece for the party leaders who appointed them, rather than working for the public interest. 

The report details how JCOPE leadership allowed themselves to be swayed by former Governor Cuomo’s staff, choosing to both ignore red flags and hold the former Governor accountable. Instead of taking action themselves, JCOPE Commissioners allowed the Cuomo administration to dictate and strong-arm the investigation. This example is just one of many in which JCOPE failed to act independently from its appointing authorities— which is why we know it was designed to fail from the start.

Moving forward, it is my hope the new Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government learns from the mistakes of its predecessor. If it is to be successful as an ethics body, this new Commission must prioritize transparency and accountability above all else. Commissioners must be committed to holding those in power accountable, rather than becoming beholden to their interests. This new body has its work cut out for them— they must work to rebuild the public’s trust in our system of ethics and oversight, and prove that they are capable of bringing real ethics and integrity to Albany. New Yorkers deserve integrity from their government, and we have a responsibility to ensure that happens.”