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Bronx State Sen. Gustavo Rivera says he officially endorsed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in her mayoral bid earlier today because she "has been there" for the people he represents.

I asked Rivera what brought about his endorsement so early in the race before any other state legislators have made tipped their hats. 

"First of all I respect all the candidates but I had to make an assesment on who is going to be best for job," he said. "We need a leader to bring people together with common interests. She is a proven leader knows how to bring interests together in the City of New York. I was not looking to endorse someone I agree with 100 percent of time." 

Rivera said that he has had a good working relationship with Quinn and that she has responded quickly on issues, such as getting properties in the Bronx away from absentee landlords. 

"Whenever we have reached out she has been there," Said Rivera. 

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo fired the first salvo today in what he says will be an ongoing campaign against public corruption. 

Cuomo was joined by a number of county district attorneys at a press conference at his Manhattan office today where he announced a push to create a "Public Trust Act" that would increase penalties for existing public corruption laws and establish three new criminal acts: bribing a public official, scheming to corrupt the government and failing to report corruption.

Legislators convicted of corruption charges would be banned from holding office and would not be able to do business with the state. 

"The public expects honesty," Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said at the press conference, "and it's time our laws caught up with reality." 

Asked by reporters why his proposal didn't include giving more power to the attorney general to investigate corruption, Cuomo said that today's announcement was "step one." 

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Following a week littered with indicments and arrests of state legislators and their cronies, Gov. Andrew Cuomo took to the airwaves to talk reform. 

Cuomo didn't get into specific fixes today, but floated the targets of possible reform — Wilson Pakula, the enforcement wing of the state Board of Elections and cross-party endorsements. “These are crises, but they’re also opportunities,” Cuomo said. He added that he would want to "pull back the lens and do as much as we can." 

RELATED: For a look at Cuomo's previous efforts to fight legislative corruption and what others think can be done to fight it, check out today's stoy: "Can Anything Be Done About Corruption in Albany?"

Cuomo also took time on Susan Arbetter's Capitol Pressroom to address Fred Dicker's latest column in The Post that said Cuomo is plotting to use recent scandals to overthrow Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Cuomo and Dicker used to be two peas in a pod with Cuomo appearing regularly on Dicker's show to float ideas until Dicker began attacking Cuomo for a more liberal agenda. 

“I’m a partner to Assembly Speaker Silver, I’m a partner to Dean Skelos and Sen. Klein on the other side. But it is wholly up to the legislative bodies to select a leader,” Cuomo said. “I would never even for a moment try to influence that decision. And, again, in this case I don’t see what the Speaker had to do with any of these purely personal individual acts by two Assembly people.”

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"Appaling," that is how Gov. Andrew Cuomo describes the allegations of corruption against two state legislators, a city councilman and various other political players this week. 

Cuomo has tried to present an image of a new, functioning Albany during his time in office but this week has done a lot to tarnish that image. 

Here is Cuomo's statement: 

The allegations of public corruption by City and State officials revealed this week are appalling. New Yorkers deserve a government that is as good as the people it serves and the events of the last few days fail this and every standard of public service. As Attorney General I prosecuted numerous public corruption cases, including putting former Senator Espada and Comptroller Hevesi behind bars, and believe firmly that anytime the public’s trust is violated, we must act quickly and aggressively to hold the guilty parties accountable. I commend US Attorney Preet Bharara, District Attorney Robert Johnson and their partners in law enforcement on their dedication to prosecuting corruption at every level. Those of us committed to the public and honored to hold its trust have zero tolerance for the actions brought to light this week, and will continue to use our power to fight to ensure integrity and trust to government in New York.

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Bronx Assemblyman Nelson Castro says he has been cooperating with federal and county prosecutors on public corruption cases for years. 

Castro, a Democrat, announced today in a statement that he would be resigning from the Assembly after one of those cases was made public just hours ago with the arrest of fellow Assemblyman Eric Stevenson on federal charges that he accepted bribes. 

Castro said in his statement that he had agreed to cooperate with the Bronx district attorney's office and the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York "in conjunction with various investigations aimed at rooting out public corruption." He said he began to cooperate with the Bronx district attorney's office in 2009 following an indictment on a civil matter. Castro was elected in 2008. 

Stevenson, also a Democrat from the Bronx, was arrested this morning on federal charges that he accepted bribes. Stevenson's lawyer told The Times he is still reviewing the charges against his client and "would have no comment until he had done so." 

The federal complaint against Stevenson refers to an "Assemblyman 1," which news reports have identified as Castro. 

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