Improving ethics oversight in New York

Bold ethics reforms are needed right now to end corruption, restore public trust, and ensure that New Yorkers can have the functioning, healthy democracy we deserve. New Yorkers have had enough of partial measures, which have us slowly inching along the road to ethics reform and have done little to stem the tide of indictments and end the culture of corruption in Albany.

We all pay the price when public officials don’t play by the rules. Whether it be elected officials prioritizing pet projects for big donors over the needs of everyday voters or misusing taxpayer money for their personal interests. That’s why Common Cause New York and our good government allies have a framework for stronger ethical standards in New York.

Policy Proposals

• Reform Legislative Compensation: Create a full-time legislature and ban outside income
• Put an End to Secret Money: Limit the influence of dark money campaign contributions and end government spending that takes place in the shadows;
• Protect the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG): The nascent ethics oversight and enforcement agency is already under attack which is why we filed an amicus brief to prevent its dismantling.
• Mandate More Reporting: Strengthen financial reporting requirements for public officers and allow the public to more easily spot conflicts of interest;
• Create Uniform Standards: Streamline and standardize disclosure of lobbying activity.