On August 24, 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Chapter 286 of the Laws of 2016 which amends the State’s ethics laws. The legislation is not a transformational game changer in the ethics arena, but does make significant changes in the State’s laws. The new law vests the Attorney General with authority to disclose sources of funding for various not-for-profit entities, expands the disclosure of all sources of funding by those engaging in lobbying, and codifies certain process rights that could have a profound impact on the ethics climate in New York State.

The amendments will impact how the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) regulates lobbying and public ethics. This article examines fundamental changes to the Public Officers Law, Legislative Law (Lobbying Act), and Executive Law and their impact on the regulation of public ethics in New York State especially by JCOPE. (read more…)