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Commission investigating Albany sex harassment scandal debates public sessions. Chooses secrecy
Posted at: 09/10/2012 5:25 PM
| Updated at: 09/10/2012 6:38 PM
By: Bill Lambdin
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As the Joint Commission on Public Ethics was about to vote to go into private session, Commissioner Marvin Jacob said not so fast.
"This is a very unusual case," Jacob said. "Everything that has happened here has been very extraordinary. Sure, I was at the SEC for years. And Dan, Commissioner Horwitz, was at the (Manhattan) DA's office. Never seen anything like it."
That set off a one hour discussion with reporters listening over what, if anything, the public should be told about matters that are being looked into, before all the facts are determined.
Governor Cuomo has weighed in, suggesting he'd appoint a special commission of his own if this one did not look into Speaker Silver's role as well as the Attorney General and the Comptroller.
Today in a radio interview the Governor was walking back that tough talk.
"Now you have the confidentiality protection but what you don't have is constant communication of the proceedings so people just don't know," he said. "We don't know what the vote was by J-COPE."
In the end nothing really has changed at JCOPE. They're still working behind closed doors, not even officially confirming what it is they're investigating. They want the public to trust them, taking it on faith. One commissioner, a former state senator who had earlier told reporters she would discuss her views, has been silenced.
"I was reminded that by law I am responsible to remain, to remain silent and so I shall," said Mary Lou Rath.
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