Speaker Heastie Appoints Search Committee for Assembly’s New Office of Ethics and Compliance

Yesterday, new Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced the appointment of a six-member search committee to “conduct a national search for an executive director to lead new Office of Ethics and Compliance.”

The six Assembly members who will undertake this effort include five Democrats and one Republican: Todd Kaminsky (D-Nassau County); Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse); Janet Duprey (R-Clinton County); Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers); Phil Ramos (D-Suffolk County); and Michele Titus (D- Queens).

In his statement, Speaker Heastie said:

“The door is wide open for real change in the State Assembly to make this institution more open, transparent and accountable to the citizens of this State. In order to accomplish this, I have appointed a diverse group of members from this body to conduct a comprehensive search to identify national experts in the area of ethics and governance. Residents of this great state rightly expect a government that is honest and beyond reproach and this new office will work to ensure that their elected representatives are living up to the highest ethical standards.”

The search committee will submit a list of candidates to Speaker Heastie, who will select the leader of the Assembly’s new office.