In Cuomo's Albany, there is a different set of rules for the Governor's friends than for the rest of New Yorkers
Over the weekend, the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) found the Governor's top economic development appointee, Sam Hoyt, innocent of sexual harassment allegations against him. JCOPE is infamously weak. It was founded by the Governor and its members are appointed by him and other partisan legislators. Before Cuomo appointed him, Hoyt had been barred from interacting with the the state legislature's internship program because of inappropriate behavior. Once appointed, Hoyt was, unshockingly, accused of sexual harassment by a state employee.
"JCOPE's decision is doubly devastating because it shows how little concern the Governor has for ethics violations and for victims of sexual harassment," said Cynthia for New York campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt. "The Governor appointed someone with a history of sexual misconduct to a senior position in his administration. When that person was accused of harassment again, he was sent to a board that is infamous for protecting Albany insiders rather than holding them accountable. As long as JCOPE is controlled by the Governor, it will have zero credibility to take on corruption or sexual harassment within his administration. Until we have a truly independent ethics body in Albany, there will be one set of rules for the Governor and his buddies, and a different set of rules and laws for everyone else."
The truly independent commission created by the Governor, the Moreland Commission, was dissolved by Cuomo when it began to investigate his office. Cynthia recently announced that she would reconvene the Moreland Commission on public corruption on day 1 as governor. With jury selection in the Buffalo Billion trial beginning this week, Cynthia's campaign released a new video to help bring New Yorkers up to date on Cuomo's extensive history of hypocrisy and corruption.
