Watchdog Group Sees Reported Sheldon Silver Probe As Opportunity For Ethics Reform
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York's system of ethics is fundamentally flawed, weak in its language and lacking independent, well-funded oversight, a government watchdog says.
Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, made the remarks to WCBS 880's Paul Murnane two days after a published report surfaced saying federal prosecutors are investigating payments Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver allegedly received over several years from a small Manhattan law firm that weren't listed on required financial disclosures.
"You have people who are angels, you have people who are devils, and you have everybody in between," Horner said. "What you have to do is come up with laws and oversight that make it more likely that the people in the middle behave themselves and the people that are devils behave differently.
"We should expect that our public officials are interested in complying not only with the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law," he added.
The New York Times, citing unidentified sources, reported that U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and the FBI are trying to determine what Sheldon, a Manhattan Democrat, did for Goldberg & Iryami, which specializes in seeking real estate tax deductions.
Investigators have found that Silver received substantial payments from Goldberg & Iryami over roughly a decade, The Times reported. Public records contain no indication that he has ever appeared in court on behalf of any of the firm's clients, the newspaper reported.
Silver has yet to speak publicly about the report. The New York Times says he maintains he has disclosed his income.
Horner said it's up to Silver to clear the air.
Bharara took over the files of New York's Moreland anti-corruption commission after Cuomo closed it in April. He said in October that investigations into Albany's pay-to-play politics are continuing.
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