An Albany ethics lesson (really)
It’s hard to imagine that the ethical sewer of Albany offers a model for the generally cleaner and more transparent government of New York City. But on restrictions covering the lobbying activities of former officials, one aspect at the state level has the better approach that should be copied down here. While the state has the same two-year ban on lobbying the specific agency where a person worked as the city does, there is a special ban for direct employees of the governor covering all agencies for 24 months.
So while a departing employee of the state Transportation Department is forbidden from using her former ties to conduct business with DOT for two years, she would immediately be free to lobby the governor’s office and any other part of the government. That’s the same on the city level. However, a gubernatorial aide (who presumably had dealings across the government) would be barred from lobbying any agency for the two years.
Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler is rightly proposing imposing a similar, government-wide, blanket two-year prohibition on city lobbying by any departing elected official or high-ranking mayoral appointee. The concept is the same that applies to gubernatorial officers. Since borough presidents and council members and top City Hall aides like deputy mayors have dealings across potentially every agency, the lobby limits must apply to every agency, not just to the specific office they worked in.
The current structure is too full of holes, such as ex-Council Speaker Corey Johnson being not allowed to interact with the Council for two years, while the rest of the vast government is wide open for using his considerable influence on behalf of private clients. Johnson has not violated any rule by putting out his shingle. And that’s the problem.
Restler introduced the reform legislation last week and has garnered more than a dozen cosponsors for the obvious improvement in the lobby law. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams should speed this to the floor for passage and get it to Mayor Adams for his signature.
Learning ethics from Albany should be embarrassing.