Recap of the Ethics Review Commission’s Public Hearing
The New York Ethics Review Commission held its only public hearing yesterday in New York City. The hearing lasted almost 90 minutes.
Commission chair Dale Volker, a former State Senator from Western New York, explained that the Ethics Review Commission’s task is to review and evaluate how the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) and the Legislative Ethic Commission have functioned since the 2011 ethics reforms were enacted. He said:
“We’re looking at how well they’re performing under current law as it’s written and not to redefine the scope of what these bodies are charged with doing or establish new regulatory structure.”
The New York City Bar Association complained of JCOPE’s “lack of independence and initiative,” and directed Commissioners to its 2014 report (prepared with Common Cause NY) titled Hope for JCOPE. Its representatives questioned JCOPE’s structure, suggested some changes to it, and called for “firewalls” between the JCOPE Commissioners and the people who appoint them. suggested that (Read their full testimony here.)
Citizens Union offered numerous recommendations, including providing JCOPE with independent budgeting; changing JCOPE’s personnel selection process; making JCOPE’s internal workings public and transparent; reducing response time to complaints; and providing improved guidance of grassroots lobbying to ensure ethics compliance. (Read their full testimony here.)
A recording of the hearing can be viewed here. The Commission is supposed to issue its report by November 1st.
Read news coverage of yesterday’s public hearing from the Times Union, Gotham Gazette and WXXI.