At lengthy, lengthy final a corrupt New York public official has been compelled to forfeit her taxpayer-provided pension after being convicted and sentenced to jail.
Steuben County village clerk Ursula Stone allegedly stole $1.2 million over her 19-year profession; prosecuted below the state’s anti-corruption legislation, she’s agreed to surrender her $1,920 month-to-month pension.
That is the primary such forfeiture in New York historical past.
“This case ought to ship a transparent message that those that dishonor their public workplace will face critical penalties,” declared state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
We want, however all too many politicians will battle again rather a lot more durable, and extra cleverly, than an upstate city clerk.
And by no means thoughts that voters overwhelming help stripping pensions from public officers and state employees convicted of felonies associated to their duties.
Such forfeitures weren’t even doable till the Legislature handed an ethics reform in 2011 and voters amending New York’s Structure in 2018 to permit it.
Preet Bharara, in his eight years as US Lawyer for the Southern District, stood out for pursuing the pension advantages of electeds convicted on federal corruption expenses, pushing for fines of $1 million or extra — and rightly calling it a “galling injustice” for crooked pols to attract taxpayer-funded pensions ’til their “dying day.”
Kudos to DiNapoli and his green-eyeshade sleuths for uncovering Stone’s decades-long thievery, and to Steuben County DA Brooks Baker for prosecuting it.
However what number of district attorneys will take the political threat of going after extra highly effective pols?
And who will dare do the investigating?
Whereas the legislation now permits for this fundamental justice, we concern New York’s political tradition will nonetheless defend the worst offenders.
