Assemblymember Hunter: Corrupt Politicians Have No Place in New York

“When it comes to corruption, we must send a strong message that it will not be tolerated in any way. Selling out the public to make a profit goes against everything these politicians were elected to uphold. Today, I helped pass two important measures to crack down on this reprehensible behavior.

“If a public official betrays their office, they shouldn’t get a cushy retirement on the taxpayers’ dime. That’s why I voted to strip pensions from officials convicted of corruption (A.1749). The Legislature has passed the bill twice; now it’s up to the voters in November to decide whether to amend the state constitution to put it into place.

“In addition, the Assembly and Senate passed a joint resolution to require legislators in both houses to submit information about their outside income to the Legislative Ethics Commission (B.404/C.25). It’s critical that we ensure our legislators have only their communities’ interests at heart, not those of special interests.

“If a politician chooses to take advantage of their position to enrich themselves, they’ll have to pay the price. I’ll keep fighting to institute meaningful ethics reform to give New Yorkers a government they can trust and depend on.”