Nassau Standard

Assemblyman Ed Ra has expressed his views following a court ruling concerning the independence of ethics oversight in New York. He emphasized the importance of having an independent body to oversee ethics enforcement, rather than allowing politicians to police themselves.

"This ruling is a win for accountability and a long-overdue step away from Albany’s old, broken system that allowed politicians to police themselves," Ra stated. He noted that previous systems failed due to lack of independence: "Ethics enforcement cannot be controlled by the same politicians it’s meant to oversee—that’s why JCOPE failed, and it’s why we need COELIG to be truly independent."

Ra highlighted the public's demand for transparency regarding former Governor Cuomo's $5 million COVID book deal and potential misuse of government resources. "The people of New York deserve answers about Cuomo’s $5 million COVID book deal and whether government resources were abused for personal profit," he said. He hopes the ruling will allow COELIG to conduct its investigation without interference.

Ra concluded by stressing the necessity for trust in state governance: "This decision reinforces the need for trust and accountability in our state government."