Editorial: Mr. Cuomo s new void
Times Union Editorial Board
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Photo illustration by Jeff Boyer / Times Union
It speaks volumes about New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics that it can’t get to the bottom of an ethical breach in its own ranks.
What a commentary on its investigative capability. Its independence. Its integrity. What a commentary, too, on the state of ethics in New York government. And among prosecutors in Albany and Manhattan who are looking the other way.
Who’s left to look into this mess? One name comes to mind: Attorney General Letitia James.
The allegations go back to 2019, when JCOPE’s board voted on whether to investigate the circumstances surrounding Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was convicted of corruption charges connected to the Buffalo Billion economic development effort. Republicans wanted JCOPE to look into whether Mr. Percoco misused state resources in continuing to work in the governor�
You re wrong, Gov. Cuomo. NY needs investigation of nursing home COVID cases
Cuomo says state should have prioritized providing COVID-19 information
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The governor who received perhaps the most prominence and praise early in the coronavirus pandemic now rightly is facing serious questions about his administration s handling of nursing home COVID-19 cases.
The issue facing Gov. Andrew Cuomo s administration isn t simply having made mistakes no government leader or agency can claim perfection in a public health crisis that has killed nearly a half-million Americans in one year.
The issue, as it so often is, stems from a startling lack of transparency regarding data on nursing home illnesses and deaths. Hiding from the public information that might not be flattering to an administration is a textbook self-own by public officials such as Cuomo, who should know better.
Cuomo s new ethics chair ran governor s defense program
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Michael Rozen remotely runs his final meeting as chairman of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics on Jan. 26, 2020. Two weeks later, he abruptly resigned from the commission.Chris BraggShow MoreShow Less
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Linda Lacewell, right, chief of staff to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, leaves a Manhattan Federal courthouse, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018, in New York. Lacewell testified Wednesday at Joseph Percoco s bribery trial. Judith Mogul, left, represented Lacewell during court proceedings. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)Mary AltafferShow MoreShow Less
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ALBANY – It remains unclear why the chairman of New York’s ethics commission resigned. But the decision certainly seemed abrupt.