Albany Agenda

Politics

Meta AI falsely claims lawmakers were accused of sexual harassment

The new AI chatbot in Facebook Messenger provides detailed information about the sexual harassment allegations against state legislators. The only problem: none of it is true.

Andrew Cuomo

Politics

New DOJ settlement concludes Cuomo harassed state employees

Federal prosecutors released an agreement with the executive chamber based on its investigation into claims of harassment and retaliation against the former governor

Donald Trump

Politics

This Jan. 6, NY Democrats are vocal about removing Trump from the ballot, but decision remains with the BOE

New York City Council members and state lawmakers have written letters to the state Board of Elections urging them to exclude the former president.

Courts

Politics

Appellate court clears way for former Cuomo lawyer’s lawsuit

Craig Herskowitz, now a candidate running against incumbent Republican Rep. Nick LaLota, is suing the state for both sex discrimination and retaliation.

Eric Adams

Politics

Adams admin won’t say whether other officials’ devices were seized

The mayor said Tuesday he’s “fully cooperating” with the federal probe, but declined to say whether other members of his administration or campaign have been contacted as part of the investigation.

Ethics

Politics

Cuomo wins initial legal fight to unravel new ethics commission

A conservative judge handed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo an early win in his legal fight against the state’s new ethics commission, which investigated Cuomo’s pandemic-era book deal.

Ethics

Breaking News Politics

Six supporters of Eric Adams' mayoral campaign indicted

The accused allegedly ran a straw donor campaign to win influence in City Hall

Ethics

Politics

De Blasio ordered to pay $475,000 for using city resources in 2019 in failed presidential run

The former mayor has been dogged by debt to the city for using NYPD security on his many campaign trips, but now the city Conflict of Interest Board is inflicting additional punitive fines.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: New York must say no to social media surveillance

With just three words – “Accept friend request” – covert cops can surveil your most private and unfiltered communications, putting youth of color at risk.

2023 session wrap-up

Policy

40 government reform groups decry proposed tweaks to NY campaign finance law

In a letter to legislative leaders, the watchdogs said the changes undermine the much celebrated campaign finance reforms passed in 2019.

Policy

Policy

Cuomo lawyers argue ethics commission is unconstitutional

The former governor used to control the state's old ethics commission. Now he's trying to kill the new one.

Politics

Politics

4 things to know about Breon Peace, the prosecutor charging Rep. George Santos

The U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York is in the spotlight with this high-profile fraud case.

Heard Around Town

Personality

Eric Adams is skipping the Met Gala, but other pols are going.

It’s the first year after AOC and Carolyn Maloney’s ethics investigations tied to the gala were revealed.

Politics

Politics

Cuomo, who specialized in controlling ethics commissions, sues existing ethics commission for being too independent of the governor

The former governor filed a lawsuit against the new Commission on Ethics and Lobbying to challenge its ‘constitutional authority’ over a probe into his pandemic book deal.

New York State

Politics

New York’s new ethics agency is still taking shape

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government will be tasked with policing public officials. But lawmakers are still the ones appointing them.

Ethics

Policy

What about those JCOPE reforms?

After the governor promised bold reform of the state’s ethics watchdog in the budget, the proposal may have sputtered.