Legislature to Moreland panel: We’ve disclosed already, thanks
by Casey Seiler, Capitol bureau chief
In a joint letter, attorneys for the state Assembly and Senate rebuffed disclosure requests sent last month by the Moreland Commission convened by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in July to investigate public corruption.
The panel in August sent letters to lawmakers requesting information about sources of outside income for those making more than $20,000 a year from such employment, including the identities of legal clients for the many legislators who are lawyers.
In a two-page letter, Marc Kasowitz and Michael Garcia — representing the Assembly and Senate, respectively — say that “These demands substantially exceed what New York law authorizes. All information legally required to be disclosed and relevant to any legitimate inquiry already has been disclosed.”
The letter then details the stepped-up disclosure requirements set down in the Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011, including information about sources of outside income for officials and spouses and certain client disclosures.
“It should be noted that the client disclosure called for (in PIRA) was the result of a careful balancing of the need for disclosure of client information with the duties and responsibilities inherent in the attorney-client relationship,” the letter states, adding that the state and New York City bar organizations have raised concerns about wholesale client disclosure by lawmakers.
http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/195384/legislature-to-moreland-panel-weve-disclosed-already-thanks/