A top aide to former Gov. Mario Cuomo wants to abolish the state’s ethics panel.
Evan Davis, who served as the late governor’s counsel, joined critics of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics to push for a constitutional amendment that would allow judges to appoint members to a more independent “integrity commission.”
The feat would take two years to accomplish because of laws governing constitutional changes and it’s not likely to gain traction this year because of a deadlock in the state Senate.
Nevertheless, Davis and others claimed that the state’s current ethics body lacks teeth to fight corruption.
“The MTA is awash in conflicts of interest,” he said, citing a report that New York spends $2.5 billion per mile to build its subway system, while London and Paris spend just $0.5 billion.
JCOPE only handles some matters.
An Inspector General oversees the MTA and a separate Legislative Ethics Commission handles complaints against lawmakers. The state’s Inspector General reviews some sex harassment complaints and some reports of ethics lapses.
Davis’s plan would consolidate ethics complaints against all state entities into one place.
Assemblyman Robert Carroll (D-Brooklyn), who is sponsoring legislation to create the new commission, said it would be truly independent.
State Sen. Liz Krueger, who is sponsoring the bill in her house, said the commission would be shielded “from the interference of the very officials subject to its oversight.”
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Gov. Cuomo, said the administration is open to feedback and new ideas to promote ethics in state government.
“We appreciate new suggestions on JCOPE reforms,” he said. “We have advanced several reforms to our ethics laws over the years and will review any new proposal.”