CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE

Here's AG Andrew Cuomo explaining how the new certification process for legislative member items set up by his office last January prevents fraud of the type that has been highlighted in Albany in recent years (see here, here and here - for starters) and is now popping up in the City Council, too.

I asked the AG if he thinks there's widespread fraud in the member item process. He responded:

There's fraud everywhere, you're hard pressed to find a government program or a private sector program that doesn't have some level of fraud.

I think we brought review and scrutiny to the program that hasn't existed, and I think people are now looking at those certifications and they're thinking twice before they sign them. As they should.

I use the analogy of signing your tax returns. Before you sign your tax returns, you make sure the tax return is right"