THE EXECUTIVE LAW WHICH CREATED THE NYS COMMISSION ON ETHICS AND LOBBYING IN GOVERNMENT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL; THE LAW CREATED AN AGENCY WITH EXECUTIVE POWERS WHICH USURPED THE GOVERNOR’S POWER TO ENSURE FAITHFUL EXECUTION OF ETHICS LAWS (THIRD DEPT) ​

The Third Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Powers. determined the Executive Law provision which created the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government is unconstitutional. The law was challenged by former governor Andrew Cuomo after ethics charges were brought against him by the Commission stemming from a book by Governor Cuomo entitled “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic:”

Pursuant to the Governor’s authority to execute the laws, she is afforded wide discretion in determining the proper methods of enforcement … . However, Executive Law § 94 revokes the Governor’s enforcement power with respect to the ethics laws, thereby depriving her of all discretion in determining the methods of enforcement of these laws. Instead, it places this power into the hands of defendant [Commission], an entity over which she maintains extremely limited control and oversight, as she appoints a minority of members and has no ability to remove members. Moreover, appointments must be approved by the IRC [independent review committee], an external nongovernmental entity made up of people who are in that position solely by virtue of their employment and do not answer to the populace. As such, Executive Law § 94 creates an agency with executive power, in that it has the authority to investigate and impose penalties for the violation of the ethics laws, while being entirely outside the control of the executive branch. Thus, it usurps the Governor’s power to ensure the faithful execution of the applicable ethics laws … . Cuomo v New York State Commn. on Ethics & Lobbying in Govt., 2024 NY Slip Op 02568, Third Dept 5-9-24