Cuomo's First Salvo Against Public Corruption
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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