ALBANY, N.Y. (Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced a multi-faceted deal on ethics reform with the state Assembly, whose former speaker Sheldon Silver is under indictment on federal corruption charges.
The reforms include fuller disclosure of outside business and legal clients by legislators as well as strict limits on use of per diem and campaign funds, Cuomo said at a news conference with state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
"We have been very aggressive in the area of ethical reform, but we still have to do more," Cuomo said. "There is still a sense that it's too common and it's too frequent.
"The more people trust the government, the more efficient and effective the government can actually be," he said.
The reform deal comes in the wake of the indictment in February of Silver, one of the state's most powerful politicians, on charges of fraud and using his office for extortion.
Silver, a lawyer who became speaker in 1994, for years listed a personal injury law firm on his financial disclosure forms as a source of income for representing its clients.
The indictment said he used his position to mask bribes and kickbacks.
Silver resigned as speaker but remains assemblyman for Manhattan's Lower East Side. He has denied wrongdoing and says he will be vindicated.
Cuomo's deal with the Democrat-controlled Assembly includes an electronic verification system to monitor lawmakers claiming per diem payments and public disclosure of per diem use.
It also includes a ban on the personal use of campaign funds, requirements for fuller campaign finance disclosure and stiffer penalties for ethics violations.
Heastie, a Bronx assemblyman and a former New York City budget analyst, was elected to replace Silver in February.