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Lobbying & Compliance
New York Budget Dismantles JCOPE and Creates New Ethics Commission
May 3, 2022 | Kim Miller
New York’s state budget eliminated the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) and replaced it with a new commission. The new commission will have fewer members, will select its own chairman. After being nominated, members will be confirmed by an independent review committee made of up deans of New York law schools. The move to create a new commission came after substantial criticism of JCOPE for conflicts of interests and how it handled investigations. Governor Kathy Hochul hopes the new commission will be a turning point for ethics investigations in New York, however, critics say that the new commission is a change in name only and will likely not result in more accountability for those under its jurisdiction. While the new commission will be undertaking a review of all current regulations, including those impacting lobbyists, there is no immediate change in registration and reporting procedures for New York lobbyists.