Report on OCA’s Proposed Rule for the Grant of Disclosure Exemptions under Public Officers Law § 73-a

SUMMARY

In a letter to the Office of Court Administration, the Government Ethics Committee reiterated its view that lawyer-legislators should not be excluded from disclosing client identity in annual financial disclosures because, absent unusual circumstances amounting to undue hardship or harm, client identity is not privileged and can be disclosed. The Committee supports the ability of lawyer-legislators to seek an exemption from disclosing client identity and urged OCA, as one of the agencies responsible for reviewing such exemption requests, to make disclosure the norm, except in rare instances where the public’s interest in disclosure is outweighed by a client’s interest in keeping his, her or its identity secret.

RULE INFORMATION

Proposed Rule for the Grant of Disclosure Exemptions under Public Officers Law §73-a

OUTCOME

This new part was adopted on December 29, 2015 with an effective date of December 31, 2015.
AO /326/15