Assembly Speaker Announces Appointment of Executive Director of New Ethics and Compliance Office

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) has announced the appointment of Jane T. Feldman to serve as the Executive Director of the Assembly’s newly-created Office of Ethics and Compliance.

According to the announcement, Ms. Feldman served as the first executive director of the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission. She also founded Rocky Mountain Ethics Consulting. She has served as an assistant attorney general in the Colorado Department of Law, and began her career as an assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office.

Ms. Feldman was recommended by a bi-partisan committee of Assembly members who conducted a nationwide search for candidates.  The Speaker announced the new office earlier this year after his predecessor, Assemblyman Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), stepped down from the leadership post after his arrest on corruption charges.

The Assembly’s Office of Ethics and Guidance will, among other things, provide ethics training for all Assembly members and staff, respond to questions regarding and provide assistance with financial disclosure forms, and review best practices in legislative ethics to make recommendations for improvements, and work with the Ethics Counsel of both the Majority and Minority conferences to identify areas for review.