Cuomo Targets Lawyers Receiving Improper Government Benefits
By Tom Precious, The Buffalo News, N.Y.
Jul. 16–ALBANY — More than 200 lawyers and other professionals who are believed to be working only limited hours for municipalities but get full government pension and other benefits have been identified by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as part of a widening investigation into the abuses.
Nearly two dozen such individuals have been identified as working for local governments in Western New York, aides to Cuomo said Tuesday.
The issue takes what had been a focus on school districts to more than 4,000 local and special government entities in the state. Beginning with a single school district on Long Island, the Cuomo investigation in recent months has led to the recovery of more than $900,000 from lawyers who the attorney general says improperly received pension and other benefits.
Officials declined to identify specific lawyers identified in the current round of letters that Cuomo’s office sent out over the past week.
The “red flag” letters went to individuals investigators believe had similar arrangements as found in many school districts: lawyers, mostly, who were with private law firms but did business on the side for one or more local governments and were counted as employees for the purposes of receiving benefits such as entry to the lucrative state pension system or health insurance coverage.
Investigators are seeking further information from the more than 200 people it has identified as possibly receiving improper government benefits, including details on private employment, number of hours worked for public employers and benefits received.
Those getting the letters received warnings that action could be taken against them if they do not submit the information to Cuomo’s office by July 21, according to a letter sent by Ellen Nachtigall Biben, special deputy attorney general for public integrity.
The probe has had many Western New York ties. Earlier this year, for instance, the prominent law firm Hodgson Russ agreed to pay $50,000 to the state for what Cuomo’s office said was improper employment deals with BOCES organizations throughout the region.
At the time, Cuomo said his office had uncovered only “the tip of the iceberg” in what he calls a case of widespread “corruption and fraud.” He has since expanded the investigation to include villages, towns and other local government entities, such as water boards.
tprecious@buffnews.com
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