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THE PEOPLE FIGHT BACK...
Going Where
the Commission to Investigate Public Corruption Did NOT:
JOINT
COMMISSION ON PUBLIC ETHICS
(JCOPE)
1.
CJA's June 27, 2013
ethics complaint
to NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE)
"(1)
Conflict of interest ethics
complaint against executive & legislative branch constitutional officers &
employees whose grand larceny of the public fisc and other corrupt acts are
particularized by CJA’s April 15, 2013 corruption complaint to U.S. Attorney
Bharara;
(2)
Request for advisory opinion as to
whether Senate and Assembly rules, vesting domineering powers in the
Temporary Senate President and Assembly Speaker, create coercive and
retaliatory conditions, substantially interfering with the ability of Senate
and Assembly Members to discharge their constitutional duties, where
doing so exposes the official misconduct of those leaders"
2.
CJA's December 11, 2014 ethics complaint to JCOPE
--
"Conflict of
Interest Ethics Complaint vs Governor Andrew Cuomo, Legislative Leaders, & JCOPE for
Violation of the Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011 Pertaining to the
Review Commission Statutorily-Required to be Appointed 'No later than June
1, 2014'”
3.
CJA's August 31, 2020 ethics complaint to JCOPE --
"Conflict of Interest Ethics Complaint vs
SUNY’s Board of Trustees and its Other Officers & Staff for Violating Public
Officers Law §74 in the Appointment of James Malatras as SUNY Chancellor – &
in Perpetuating SUNY’s False, Deficient & Non-Existent Scholarship on the
New York State Constitution and New York State Governance"
* * *
Belatedly appointed
JCOPE/LEC REVIEW COMMISSION
CJA's July 11, 2014 letter to the "Three
Men in the Room" -- Governor, Temporary Senate President, & Assembly Speaker
--
"Getting to First Base in Achieving 'the Dream of Honest
Government'"
(1) Rectifying your violation of “The
Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011” by appointing the review committee to
evaluate JCOPE that you were required to appoint “No later than June 1,
2014”;
(2) Making public your “written response”,
if any,
to CJA’s June 27, 2013 ethics complaint against you, filed with JCOPE
[transmitting
e-mail &
here]
CJA's July 18, 2014 letter to JCOPE
--
"The
Record of JCOPE’s Handling of Complaints:
(1)
Status of CJA’s June 27, 2013 ethics complaint;
(2)
Rectifying your violation of Executive Law
§94.9(l)(i) ('The Public Integrity Reform
Act of 2011') by supplementing your 2012 and 2013 annual reports with the
statutorily-required list of assigned numbers for each complaint and
referral, including the status of each complaint."
CJA's December 11, 2014 ethics complaint to JCOPE
--
"Conflict of
Interest Ethics Complaint vs Governor Andrew Cuomo, Legislative Leaders, & JCOPE for
Violation of the Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011 Pertaining to the
Review Commission Statutorily-Required to be Appointed 'No later than June
1, 2014'”
CJA's June 18, 2015 letter to
JCOPE/LEC Review Commission --
"Ensuring Honest Review by the
JCOPE/LEC Review Commission:
(1) Your Methodology for Reviewing
and Evaluating the Joint Commission on Public Ethics & Legislative Ethics
Commission -- Including Public Hearings; (2) Your Protocol with Respect to
Conflicts of Interest"
CJA's June 22, 2015 letter to JCOPE/LEC
& Public Officers --
"Enabling
Honest Review by the JCOPE/LEC Review Commission:
Rectifying JCOPE’s violations of Executive Law §94.9(l)(i) by furnishing the
statutorily-required yearly 'listing of assigned numbers of each complaint
and referral received…including the status of each complaint'”
* * *
E-MAILS OF CJA's REQUEST TO TESTIFY --
& FOR OTHER INFO
CJA's
September 28, 2015 e-mail --
"Request to testify at October 14, 2015
public hearing of the 'New York Ethics Review Commission'"
CJA's
October 7, 2015 e-mail --
"Again -- Request to testify at October 14,
2015 public hearing of the 'New York Ethics Review Commission'"
October 7, 2015 e-mail response from Ariel Dvorkin, Coordinator for
Commission --
"Again -- Request to testify at October 14, 2015 public hearing of the
'New York Ethics Review Commission'"
CJA's October 12, 2015 e-mail to David Grandeau --
"Your FOIL
Request to the JCOPE/LEC Review Commission"
(with cc's to Review
Commission)
click here for:
October 14, 2015 First & Only Public Hearing
of JCOPE/LEC Review Commission
–
& Elena Sassower's testimony
(at 0:44:06 minutes - 1:11:15 hours)
[MISSING! -- see August 30, 2018 FOIL request
below]
transcription of Elena Sassower's testimony
What was in those file folders
that Elena Sassower handed up to the
Commissioners
before beginning her testimony?
(1)
CJA’s June
18, 2015 letter addressed to the members of the JCOPE/LEC Review Commission
link
(2)
CJA’s June 22, 2015 letter addressed to JCOPE,
LEC, the Governor, Legislative Leaders, and investigative and prosecutorial
authorities – to which the members of the JCOPE/LEC Review Commission were
recipients
link
(3)
CJA’s June
27, 2013 conflict-of-interest ethics complaint, filed with JCOPE, against
the Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Legislators, etc., with its
accompanying April 15, 2013 criminal complaint to U.S. Attorney Bharara –
and JCOPE’s June 28, 2013 acknowledgment letter
link
(4)
CJA’s December 11, 2014 conflict-of-interest
ethics complaint, filed with JCOPE, against the Governor, Legislative
Leaders, and JCOPE, with its three enclosures: (1) CJA’s July 11, 2014
letter to the Governor & Legislative Leaders; (2) CJA’s July 18,
2014 letter to JCOPE; (3) the City Bar’s
July 9, 2014 letter to the Governor & Legislative Leaders – and JCOPE’s
December 16, 2014 acknowledgment letter
link
(5)
CJA’s December 12, 2014 conflict-of-interest
ethics complaint to LEC
link
(6)
CJA’s
November 8, 2011 Executive Summary of its October 27, 2011 Opposition Report
link
AND what
further documents
did Elena Sassower hand up during her testimony?
(1) Chapter 567
of the Laws of 2010 establishing, every four years, a Commission on Judicial
Compensation
link
(2) the August
29, 2011 Final Report of the Commission on Judicial Compensation
link
(3) a full copy
of CJA’s October 27, 2011 Opposition Report, including its two Compendia of
Exhibits and the 2002 two final motions to the Court of Appeals in the
Article 78 proceeding Elena Ruth Sassower, Coordinator of the Center for
Judicial Accountability, Inc., acting pro bono publico v. Commission on
Judicial Conduct of the State of New York
link
(4) the first three pages – and four causes of
action – of the March 30, 2012 verified complaint in CJA's declaratory
judgment action Center for Judicial Accountability, Inc....on behalf of
the People of the State of New York & the Public Interest v. Cuomo,
Schneiderman, DiNapoli, Legislative Leaders, Legislature, Lippman, Unified
Court System & the State of NY
link
Other witness presentations
* * *
PRESS COVERAGE
OF THE
COMMISSION's OCTOBER 14, 2015 PUBLIC HEARING
October 14, 2015:
Karen DeWitt: "Witnesses
testify of dysfunction on state ethics commission at public
hearing", WRVO; &
"Witnesses
at Public Hearing Say Ethics Commission Not Living Up to Its
Mission", WXXI,
also;
WXKG ,
North Country Radio;
October 14, 2015: "JCOPE
review chairman says he asked Cuomo for staff",
Capital Confidential-Albany Times Union, Chris Bragg
October 15, 2015: "Reform
Proposals Fly as Panel Evaluates Ethics Watchdog",
Gotham Gazette, Samar Khurshid
click
here for more:
PRESS IN ACTION
* * *
CJA's POST-HEARING CORRESPONDENCE
CJA's October 19, 2015 FOIL/Records Request --
"Is the JCOPE/LEC Review Commission Lawfully Constituted?"
October 26, 2015 acknowledgment from Gov
October 26, 2015 response from Senate
October 26, 2015 response from Assembly
November 24, 2015 extension letter from
Gov
December 23, 2015 letter from Gov
enclosure
CJA's October 21, 2015
letter to JCOPE
--
"FOIL/Records Request I:
Assisting the
JCOPE/LEC Review Commission with a methodologically-sound review:
(1) JCOPE’s 'internal
procedures for intake and review of all tips and complaints'; (2) JCOPE's
'case management system'"
JCOPE's First-Year Report
JCOPE's 2012 Annual Report
JCOPE's February 2015 Report
Executive Law
§94
Legislative Law
§80
State
Administrative Procedure Act
JCOPE's October 28, 2015 response
CJA's October 21, 2015
letter to JCOPE
--
"FOIL/Records Request
II:
Assisting
the JCOPE/LEC Review Commission with a methodologically-sound review:
litigations against JCOPE, such as
brought by Donald Trump"
JCOPE's 2013 Annual Report
JCOPE's 2014 Annual Report
February 11, 2015 decision in
Trump v. JCOPE
"The requirement that a vote be held within 45 days from receipt
of a complaint
is a purely ministerial act —
which must be
carried out in accordance with the clear statutory language.”
(at p. 7).
CJA's October 21, 2015 letter to JCOPE/LEC Review Commission
--
"Bringing the Commission's Website Out of Hiding"
screenshot of JCOPE/LEC Review Commission website
"A description for
this result is not available because of this site's robots.tex
--
learn more"
CJA's October 22, 2015 letter to LEC --
"FOIL/Records Request:
Assisting the JCOPE/LEC
Review Commission with a methodologically-sound review –
LEC’s annual reports for 2013 and 2014 & website
LEC website
LEC's October 26, 2015 response
CJA's October 26, 2015 letter to JCOPE
--
"FOIL/Records Request --
Assisting the JCOPE/LEC Commission with a methodologically-sound review:
JCOPE's legislative recommendations"
IN
THE SENATE:
(1)
the six-member
Senate Committee on Ethics
(2)
the nine-member
Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations
IN THE ASSEMBLY:
(1)
the
eight-member
Assembly Committee on Ethics and Guidance
(2)
the
fourteen-member
Assembly
Committee on Governmental Operations
(3)
the
seven-member
Assembly Committee on Oversight, Analysis, &
Investigation
JCOPE's
November 2, 2015 response
CJA's October 27, 2015 letter to JCOPE
--
"FOIL/Records Request -- Assisting the JCOPE/LEC Commission with a methodologically-sound
review: JCOPE's written delegations of power to
its executive director and, specifically, with respect to 15-day letters"
City Bar/Common Cause Report - Hope for JCOPE
JCOPE's November 5, 2015 response
CJA's August 30, 2018 FOIL/records request to JCOPE,
Governor, Legislature --
"JCOPE/LEC Review
Commission Report
(Part DD of Fiscal Year 2015-2016
Budget Bill S.2006-B/A-3006-B)
JCOPE
September 13, 2018 response
enclosure-report
enclosure-minutes
Governor
September 7, 2018 acknowledgment
October 9, 2018 response
Senate
September 7, 2018 response
enclosure-report
Assembly
September 6, 2018 response
enclosure-report
* * *
July 31,
2018
"Ethics
commissioner wants option to make status of probes public"
Albany Times Union (Chris Bragg)
August 5,
2018
"What
has JCOPE actually done?"
City & State (Kay Dervishi)
August 20, 2018
"NY
Attorney General's office won't defend state ethics panel against GOP
lawsuit"
Daily News (Ken Lovett)
December 19, 2018
"JCOPE's
new regs constrained by settlement"
Albany Times Union (Chris
Bragg)
December 20, 2018
"Judge
rules that state watchdog has 30 days to decide on potential Cuomo probe"
NY Post (Carl Campanile)
February 2, 2019
"Albany's
ethics watchdog is useless"
New York Post (editorial)
May 22, 2019
"New
York state watchdog's top agency head Seth Agata to step
down"
New York Post (Bernadette Hogan)
May 28, 2019
"Reform
groups say scrap JCOPE, as national report rates it among
the worst"
WBFO (Karen DeWitt)
May 29, 2019
"'So
Completely Compromised': New York Watchdog Agencies
Have a Credibility Problem"
Gotham Gazette
(Samar Khurshid)
November 16, 2019
"Pulling
JCOPE's strings"
Albany Times Union (editorial)
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