Forgive us if we thought the circus was in town—it’s just Anthony Weiner’s mayoral launch. The prodigal pol posed in the streets of Brooklyn for his debut campaign commercial. He traipsed through Harlem before hobnobbing with commuters on the subway. Few have been shy when the topic is Weiner. Even the governor couldn’t help himself, offering that it would be a shame if the city voted for him for mayor. Hot dog, a Cuomo-Weiner battle over New York’s supremacy… [More]

Some residents living in flood zones say Superstorm Sandy has been compounded by the slow response of the insurance industry.… [More]

Assemblyman Vito Lopez announced he would resign from office at the end of the legislative session next month—but he could still pick his successor. Lopez has the power to select a candidate to replace him if a special election is held later this year thanks to an arcane state law empowering district leaders to choose candidates for office in the event of a vacancy. Under state election law, a party’s state committee leaders can pick a candidate to run, who is then approved by… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called Assemblyman Vito Lopez’s sexual harassment scandal a “sad and disturbing episode” and urged lawmakers to expel him from the chamber. “They should make the statement that we should not tolerate this in our house,” Cuomo said at a press conference. “The state Legislature does not tolerate this behavior and we want him expelled from our house.” But Cuomo would not call on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to step down despite rumblings for his removal based on his handling of the case. “The… [More]

  Just when you thought Albany couldn’t get any more disgusting, Vito Lopez’s ethics-bending sexual harassment report became public. The findings eviscerate Lopez for his lecherous behavior toward eight former staff members and taint Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as his enabler. The report’s slimy details made us so uncomfortable that we’ll go take another shower while you take a look at our winners and losers.   Ray Halbritter – The Oneida Nation’s representative extolled this week’s catchall agreement between his people, the state and two… [More]

Lawmakers renewed calls for Assemblyman Vito Lopez to resign after the release of an explosive ethics report that detailed years of abusive behavior but stopped short of guaranteeing his ouster from the chamber this year. Lopez allegedly groped, goaded and gawked at eight female employees, creating a hostile work environment over a two-year period. Four of the women brought complaints to the state Assembly, and all eight shared their testimony with the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which released its findings… [More]

  Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? The feds finally came for state Sen. John Sampson and indicted him on Monday on embezzlement charges. A federal court document also revealed the names of five additional state senators, plus a city councilman, whom state Sen. Shirley Huntley secretly recorded in cooperation with the FBI. Oh, and last Friday, Assemblyman William Boyland got indicted. Again. Our losers list is spilling over, but we’ve pared it down to bring you the Winners and Losers of… [More]

“Being powerful is like being a lady,” mused the late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. “If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” In Albany, as in every political arena, bluster is often mistaken for true power. Of course, even the perception that one has influence can yield genuine authority, but more often that not, those with true power in government are not the grandstanders but those who work dutifully, quietly and shrewdly behind the scenes to achieve their… [More]

New Roosevelt, a good-government group led by progressive entrepreneur Bill Samuels, is launching another reform into the mix: a dedicated Legislature.… [More]

  It was a huge week for Anthony Weiner, who thrust himself back into the public eye with a flattering cover story in The New York Times Magazine just two years after his infamous crotch tweet and cover-up stalled a once promising career. Now Weiner is mulling a comeback in a crowded Democratic primary field for mayor of New York City. And this week, that makes him one of our Weiners and Losers. Can’t get enough of our winners and losers?… [More]