CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is taking on more fraud and waste in government. This time, he is going after member item fraud.

AG Andrew Cuomo just told an approving crowd of good government advocates that his office has rejected 1,026 legislative requests for member items as part of an ongoing review of pork-barrel spending in Albany.

Of the 6,500 member item grants passed last year, Cuomo's office reviewed 3,785 worth $122 million (information on some 2,700 additional items has not yet been presented, which the AG interpreted as a good sign that the stricter reforms implemented by his office are having a preventative effect).

Not long after taking office in the wake of ongoing member item scandals (an epidemic that has now moved down the Thruway to the City Council), Cuomo, who pledged to be Sheriff of State Street during the '06 campaign, instituted a requirement that member item recipients sign a contract on which they pledge - among other things - not to have a conflict of interest with the lawmaker who directed the cash their way.

To lie on this contract would be perjury, Cuomo noted, which would make prosecution for member item fraud by his office considerably easier.

Liz also has video of Cuomo speaking on this topic.

This is a very good thing Cuomo is doing. Making the recipient sign a contract brings accountability to the process and holds the lawmaker accountable as well to ensure that these member items are not fraud and to make sure that there is not a conflict of interest