AP Profiles State Inspector General

The Associated Press has published a lengthy article profiling Ellen Biben, New York State’s Inspector General, and her office.

Since taking office as State IG, she has launched investigations into the licensing of bus drivers by the state, violence in youth detention halls, mistakes in the Nassau County crime lab, personal use of state vehicles by prison officials and grant awards by the New York Power Authority.

Biben is credited with commencing the state pension fund investigation that resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of former state comptroller Alan Hevesi while in the Attorney General’s Office, and has received as “special designation” from current Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to see the last half dozen cases through to sentencing.

Perhaps also reflecting the Governor’s view of her position and authority, Biben looks at cases holistically:

“You have to do the one case if you need to. But what I say to people here is: Every case is an opportunity to identify a larger problem…”

Read more about IG Biben on the IG’s web site here.