Following the Glaser model

I owe a debt of gratitude to Howard Glaser.

His recent emails have shown the Albany establishment that it is perfectly legal, legit, fine, acceptable even preferable for an individual to both represent a client before a state regulatory body and provide consulting services to that regulatory body.

And don't kid yourself it happens all the time . . . informally.

Now Howard and Andrew took it to another level if you believe the published reports of his activity (and I always do), because Howard had a consulting agreement with Cuomo's office of the Attorney General.  And it is that consulting agreement that will be key to any investigation of Glaser's activity.  How long will it take to get that document?  Do you think Cuomo had an automatic 90 day deletion policy for contracts at the Attorney Generals Office?

If that agreement exists and has not fallen prey to some other deletion policy we can see what Howard was supposed to be doing for the Attorney General.  If his activities where for his own or his clients benefit that's a pretty easy case for JJOKE to make as a violation of the Public Officers Law not to mention a potential violation of that theft of honest services law that Preet seems so fond of.

If however he stayed within the lines of separating his clients work from his consulting work good for him but then why did he lie about it?  These Cuomo types lie almost reflexively don't they?  It's a bad habit in the long run.

But back to the bigger issue of working as a consultant for a regulatory agency where you appear on behalf of clients all I can say is I told you so LT.

You see LT and I talk all the time about what JCOPE should do, I guess I am an informal consultant to her when you think about it.

And I've told LT if I am not appointed by Heastie to JCOPE (and time is running out Carl, Patrick Jenkins ought to pay careful attention to the Glaser case) I'd be happy to formalize our informal consulting arrangement, after all Glaser and Cuomo have already built the model we can use.