Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE - Sag Harbor) announced that he has signed on as a cosponsor to the “Anti-Corruption Amendment.” This legislation, A.10651, was introduced by Assemblyman Robert Carroll, and seeks to amend the New York State Constitution to deter corruption in the State government.

The proposed amendment would replace the NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) and the NYS Legislative Ethics Commission (LEC) with a single, truly independent enforcement agency.

The new single Commission would be responsible for ensuring consistent enforcement of both the Executive and Legislative branches, with members appointed by all three branches of government, largely by those whose conduct is not being regulated by the Commission. The Commission would have widened powers to sanction misconduct, would act by majority vote, and be responsible for the enforcement of campaign finance laws. The Commission would operate under substantial transparency laws, with several provisions in place to ensure fair and just appointment of members.

Assemblyman Thiele said, “Already this year we have seen the corruption trials and convictions of several former high-ranking legislators and other key players in Albany. It is more important than ever that New Yorkers have trust in their government and know it’s truly working for the people. These measures will show that no one is above the law.”