Amicus Brief in Cuomo v. NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government

SUMMARY

The New York City Bar Association, by and through its Government Ethics and State Affairs Committee, joined Citizens Union, Committee to Reform the State Constitution, Common Cause NY, New York Public Interest Research Group, Reinvent Albany, and the Sexual Harassment Working Group to submit an amicus brief for consideration to the Third Department, Appellate Division of the NYS Supreme Court in Cuomo v. NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. In sum, the brief underscores the compelling need for an independent statewide ethics commission in New York; identifies the failures of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE); and supports the constitutionality of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) appointment process.