Long Island, NY - February 8, 2017 - Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas and Senator Todd Kaminsky unveiled aggressive, new anti-corruption legislation today to provide improved legal tools for local prosecutors to pursue corruption cases and to significantly increase penalties for government officials who violate the public’s trust.
“As a former assistant District Attorney and federal corruption prosecutor, I saw firsthand how corrupt politicians exploit our State’s weak laws,” Senator Todd Kaminsky said. “If we want to stop the rampant corruption that has plagued New York for decades, we must give prosecutors the tools they need to succeed and ensure that the penalty for corruption fits the crime. This legislation will strengthen our anti-corruption laws, lead to more convictions and stronger penalties, and send a message that New Yorkers will not tolerate dirty public officials.”
“New York’s anti-corruption laws are outdated and inadequate, and this important legislation will give local prosecutors important new tools to combat the corruption that continues to degrade public confidence in our government,” said District Attorney Singas. “Stronger laws to deter government corruption and tougher penalties for those who abuse their positions of trust will help ensure that New Yorkers get the honest government that they deserve. I commend Senator Kaminsky for introducing these bills and encourage the full Senate to pass them quickly.”
The laws, S12 and S4033, will empower district attorneys by making it a crime to lie to local prosecutors and investigators, and will broaden the range of charges available to prosecutors who pursue corrupt public officials, as well as stronger penalties.
Good government advocates praised the bills.
"We all lose when law enforcement can't do its job," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York. "New Yorkers deserve public officials who honor their trust, and prosecutors who can bring them to justice when they don't.”
“Fighting corruption from the local level has been such a low priority here in New York State that we are pleased to see Senator Kaminsky and District Attorney Singas propose two bills that will strengthen the hand of the local district attorneys,” said Dick Dadey, Executive Director of Citizens Union, a New York City based democratic reform organization. “Though much of our past efforts over the past 10 years have focused on increasing the penalties and strengthening the punishment for corruption, these bills fill in the holes that exist in enforcement of anticorruption measures. Local district attorneys know the public officials the best and can provide a more watchful eye than others and give them better tools to enforce the laws.”
Specifically, the legislation unveiled today criminalizes lying to district attorneys, assistant district attorneys or district attorney investigators. While it is a felony to lie to federal government agents, New York law does not currently penalize such behavior. The bills also codify recommendations of the New York State White Collar Task Force to create and enhance penalties for public servants found guilty of official misconduct, ensuring that these crimes are punished at a level commensurate with their impact on the community.
Before entering the New York State legislature, Senator Kaminsky was an assistant U.S. Attorney representing Long Island, Brooklyn and Queens. As acting deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section, Kaminsky took down corrupt elected officials who used taxpayer dollars to fund lavish lifestyles, including State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. and Assemblyman Jimmy Meng.
