Trick or Treat (old school style)

Just when you think the folks at the public integrity commission are dead and buried they rise up like zombies to bite themselves and anyone associated with them in the ass.  Take a look at this item:

http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/31/ethics-commissioners-firm-did-lobbying-work/

I know Richard Emery and his partner Andrew Celli. Both were PIC commissioners at one time or another (at the same time for a while).
And while I have disagreed with them on occasion I believe both genuinely wanted to follow the law when it came to ethics. So to learn that Richard Emery’s firm was registered as a lobbyist while he was a commissioner of the public integrity commission came as a bit of a shock.

To learn that Richard thought he no longer was a commissioner when his name was still on the letterhead 3 months after he registered must have come as a bigger shock to Richard. To learn that the Chairwomen Mitra Hormozi had no knowledge of this at all is also shocking.

So who is to blame for all this shocking information? I think the executive director Barry Ginsberg is to blame. He is the day to day head of the agency; he should have known one of his commissioners was a partner in a lobbying firm. He should have counseled Mr. Emery about the conflict it presented. After all this wasn’t the first commissioner that was part of a lobbying firm (I’ve blogged about all the commissioners with conflicts before). He should have informed his chairwomen so that she could have been prepared for the press inquiry.

And he should tell the public why Mr. Emery’s lobbying registration is still not available for public review some 3 months after the registration.

Why is it being hidden?

I hope the Cuomo administration knows what they are in for if they give Barry a job in their administration, either he doesn’t know what’s going on in his agency or he does and is purposely trying to hide the information, either way it spells trouble for those involved.

But don’t worry NYPIRG in the form of Russ Haven will come riding in to rescue us all. They’ve called for Richard’s resignation. Here’s a hint Russ if you are going to call for the resignation of PIC commissioners that are part of organizations regulated by the PIC the list has more than one name on it.
Count on Russ to come late to this party.