STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN JENIFER RAJKUMAR UNVEILS SWEEPING ANTI-CORRUPTION PACKAGE TO BRING GOOD GOVERNMENT TO NEW YORK

 

LEGISLATION CRACKS DOWN ON NO-BID CONTRACTS, EXPOSES INSIDER RELATIONSHIPS, AND RESTORES TRUST IN GOVERNMENT

Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar today unveiled a sweeping package of good government, ethics, and transparency bills to bring unprecedented checks and balances that ensure government works for the people, not the powerful.

Rajkumar’s legislative package takes direct aim at some of the clearest abuses that erode faith in government: no-bid contracts, relationships between contractors and public officials, unauthorized contractors receiving public money, undisclosed lobbying pressure, and big-money influence from corporations doing business with the government.

The Assemblywoman’s package comes following a series of scandals and improprieties involving government contracts, with New Yorkers clamoring for a government where decisionmakers act in the best interest of the people. Rajkumar’s bills will shine light on insider dealings, strengthen safeguards around public contracting, and make clear that spending taxpayer dollars is a sacred trust.

Assemblywoman Rajkumar said, “I have personally seen how corruption at the state and city levels stalls government and stands in the way of helping people. That is why I am proud to introduce this anti-corruption package. New Yorkers are sick of backroom deals, insider influence, and a government that too often serves the well-connected instead of the public. These bills take aim at the loopholes and hidden dealings that let corruption thrive in the shadows, whether through no-bid contracts, undisclosed conflicts of interest, unauthorized vendors, secretive lobbying, or political money tied to government business. I am fighting to restore trust in government, because public service must always belong to the people.”

The comprehensive ethics package includes:

A10881 — Limits the use of no-bid contracts by setting strict, clearly defined conditions on when they are allowed. The bill requires competitive bidding in the absence of a Declaration of Emergency by the Governor: current law gives State agencies a free pass, saying they can award no-bid contracts as long as there are undefined “unusual circumstances”—a fuzzy standard that opens the door to abuse. The bill further requires the state Comptroller to determine that any emergency contracting process was fair, and mandates that all contractors disclose any personal or professional relationships with public officers that could be construed as a conflict of interest.

A10461 — Requires New York City contractors to disclose any personal or professional relationships with public officers, ensuring potential conflicts of interest are brought into the open before contracts are awarded. The bill comes as a response to a series of scandals where contracting decisions had the appearance of impropriety due to personal relationships. This includes the Deputy Commissioner of Real Estate Services at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services contracting with a firm that retained a friend to broker lucrative commercial leases; and New York City Schools awarding over a million dollars to a firm that retained the Schools Chancellor’s brother.

A10462 — Prohibits government payments on New York City contracts to contractors who are not properly authorized, ensuring that all vendors and subcontractors are vetted and approved before receiving taxpayer funds. This bill follows findings from a Comptroller’s audit highly critical of the City’s contracting for migrant services with the firm DocGo: the audit found that almost 67% of reimbursement for DocGo in one period went to unauthorized subcontractors, and DocGo only submitted 29% of its vendors for the required review.

A9559 — Strengthens lobbying transparency in New York by requiring lobbyists to disclose their positions on specific bills, including amendments and appropriations. Current law requires disclosure of clients but not their positions on legislation, allowing ambiguity and the potential for misleading representations about legislative intent. The bill closes this gap and is endorsed by good-government groups Reinvent Albany and NYPIRG.

A826 — Closes a campaign finance loophole allowing businesses awarded contracts in New York City to give big donations. Current law puts a cap of $400 on donations by firms involved in contracts with the City worth at least $5,000. However, contracts on a retainer basis are entered as $1 or even $0 if the final cost is not known, creating a gaping hole in the law’s intent. An expose found that this loophole allowed law firms with lucrative City contracts to donate tens of thousands of dollars. Rajkumar’s bill fixes this by applying the same donation limit for any contract with the potential to exceed $5,000.