Numerous reports say Loretta Lynch, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, is President Barack Obama’s pick to replace Eric Holder as U.S. Attorney General.

Lynch — whose district covers Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island — is known in state government circles for her pursuit of corrupt lawmakers including former state Sens. Pedro Espada Jr. and Shirley Huntley, as well as Assemblyman William Boyland. Lynch’s office is currently prosecuting sitting state Sen. John Sampson, a former leader of the chamber’s Democratic conference.

Along with her fellow U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Lynch appeared before the first hearing conducted by the Moreland Commission on Public Corruption.

“The public must demand more accountability and honest services,” she said. “The media must remain vigilant in its scrutiny. Public officials who see wrongdoing must not turn a blind eye and let corruption continue. And it is to be hoped that this body can recommend substantive changes that will work to prevent the next major public corruption case.”

Watch here — Lynch’s remarks begin just after the 38-minute mark:

Here are Lynch’s prepared comments for her Sept. 17, 2013 appearance before the Moreland panel:

Remarks of Loretta e Lynch Moreland

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says Gov. Andrew Cuomo is free to talk about the shuttering of the Moreland Commission amid a federal investigation into why it was shut down.

“People are able to exercise their public role in the way that they see fit,” he said in an interview with MSNBC that aired Tuesday morning. “They’re allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights. I think it is a different thing to say people shouldn’t be talking to potential witnesses in the case when prosecutors and FBI agents and other investigators are looking at something. But I don’t think I or anyone else has ever said that any particular person shouldn’t be talking about how he or she made decisions publicly.”

Bharara said that how Cuomo wants to interpret what he can and cannot say is up to the governor.

The interview is Bharara’s first since his office brought its case against Assemblyman Sheldon Silver. Bharara commented on Albany’s “three men in a room” negotiating style, saying people would find the same tactic intolerable if it was the president and the House and Senate leaders doing the same.

“The membership of the room seems to be changing,” he said of Carl Heastie’s election as the new Assembly speaker last week. “I was speaking a little bit out of frustration as a citizen, and I think a lot of people have expressed the same frustration. When you have all the decisions that are so important to the people of a state being made almost by fiat, by just three people in a room, that makes you wonder what kinds of decisions are being made.”

“Just imagine if the same level of decisions were being made by just the president and John Boehner and now Mitch McConnell,” he added. “I think people wouldn’t tolerate it for very long. So one wonders why it’s tolerated so much in New York state.”

As for how deep corruption in Albany goes, Bharara said it’s pervasive but many people go into public service for good reasons.

“I hope it’s not half (of lawmakers),” he said in another piece of the interview aired Tuesday afternoon when asked about comments made by a former member of the Legislature who was convicted of wrongdoing. “There are a lot of people who go into public service and are in it for the right reasons and to do the right thing.”

“There’s a statistic that some people cite and I cite, too, which is you are more likely to be arrested as a state senator in New York than you are to be turned out at the polls,” he said. “When you have a degree of corruption that is that deep and pervasive and frequent, that is a big problem.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that it’s imperative that lawmakers disclose how exactly they’re making their outside income, a reform he is seeking Legislative sign-off on in exchange for signing an on-time budget.

“Disclosure is the key,” Cuomo said after an event in Utica. “If you have a client that has business before the state or business before the Legislature, people have to know. That’s where we keep getting into trouble as a government. It’s a part-time legislature. Yes. So you can be a lawyer also. Yes. And you can have clients. Yes. But we want to make sure that there’s not a conflict problem. Are you representing the people of your district? Or are you representing a client? The only way people will feel comfortable with the arrangement now … (is) tell them who the client is. Tell them who is paying you and why.”

Cuomo used a hardware store owner or hardware store association representative as an example. He said if there was a bill before the Legislature raising taxes on hardware stores, a lawmaker who owns such a shop should disclose that so others can factor that into their thoughts when the lawmaker votes no on the increase.

“Students of government know that this is probably the longest running drama and sitcom in the state’s history,” he said. “You can go back to Teddy Roosevelt bemoaning the Legislature. I’m old enough to remember this story going back 30, 40 years. Speaker Silver, I think, was the third speaker in relative recent times to have trouble with law enforcement. So corruption in Albany is not a new story. I think this disclosure gets to the essence of the problem.”

The governor has included in his budget ultimatum such disclosure, summing it up at NYU earlier this month as “Explain the money.” State officials would be required to explain who paid, how much and for what services.

As for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara’s interview with MSNBC earlier this week, the governor said he was never told he couldn’t speak about the shuttering of the Moreland Commission as federal investigators started digging into its work and why it was shut down.

“There was never a gag order,” he said at a stop in Plattsburgh before heading for Utica and saying the same thing. “We have something called the First Amendment in this country. But I’ve discussed the matter multiple times since then. And I think we’ve discussed it to death since last year.”

A new Siena poll out Tuesday morning shows just what voters think of corruption in state government. Spoiler alert: They say it’s a problem — a big one.

Ninety-two percent of voters say corruption in state government is a serious problem (51 percent say very serious; 41 percent say somewhat serious) in the wake of the Capitol foundation-shaking arrest and indictment of former Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver. Voters don’t think corruption among their local pols is quite as much of a problem, though a majority still say it’s serious. In all, 60 percent of statewide voters say corruption is a serious problem among state legislators from their area (21 percent say very serious; 39 percent say somewhat serious).

But more voters place importance on passing the state budget than they do on passing the ethics reforms Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will require for on-time passage of the spending plan. Fifty-three percent of voters say passing the budget on time is more important, while 37 percent say passing the ethics reforms, even if that means the budget is late, is the better option. Fifty-one percent of voters say passing the Cuomo ethics plan will reduce corruption, though 44 percent say it won’t have any real effect.

“While Democrats are closely divided on whether the Governor’s position to not approve a new state budget without his ethics reform package represents a serious effort to reduce corruption, Republicans, independents, upstaters and downstate suburbanites believe it is but an idle political threat designed to make himself look good,” Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg said in a statement. “Voters think corruption in Albany – and among their local state legislators – is a serious problem and they believe the Cuomo ethics reform package will reduce corruption, however, most believe an on time state budget is more important than the ethics package and they think that Cuomo’s threat is but an idle one.”

On the other major budget season issue (education), 48 percent of voters say they generally side with teachers’ unions on education issues, while 36 percent say they side with the governor. As for why voters think not enough students graduate high school college or career ready, 37 percent say it’s because there isn’t enough parental involvement, while just 10 percent say the quality of New York’s teachers is to blame.

The poll surveyed 810 registered voters statewide. The margin of error is +/- 3.7 percent.

You can view the crosstabs below:

SNY0215 Crosstabs

A majority of New Yorkers may not place much trust in any level of government, but if they have to choose, they’re trusting their local elected officials the most.

A Siena College poll released Thursday morning shows that 43 percent of voters trust their local government most or all of the time, compared to just 28 percent who trust either the federal or state government to make the right decisions. Upstaters are among the most trusting of their local officials, the poll shows, with 47 percent of voters saying they trust local government at least most of the time. Another 36 percent of upstaters say they trust local government some of the time.

Job performance ratings mirror those thoughts. Forty-two percent of voters statewide say their local government is doing either a good or excellent job, compared to 27 percent who say the same about the federal government and 30 percent who say the same about state government.

The new data comes at a time when trust in state government, at least, has taken a major blow with yet another scandal. In the wake of the arrest of former Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver in January, 92 percent of voters in another Siena poll released earlier this week said corruption in state government is a serious problem. While a majority said corruption also is a serious problem at the local level, the percentage was 32 points less (60 percent).

“While we are enthused by the comparatively high grades local governments receive from taxpayers, we know that more must be done to build trust and increase satisfaction among all New Yorkers,” the directors of the New York Conference of Mayors, the New York State Association of Counties and the state Association of Towns, all of which partnered with Siena on the poll, said in a statement.

The poll surveyed 815 registered voters statewide. The margin of error is +/- 3.4 percent.

Check out the crosstabs below:

Siena Local Government Poll

Former New York gubernatorial candidate Zephyr Teachout has agreed to sit on the advisory board of the embryonic Albany Museum of Political Corruption.

“It’s all very exciting. … Her expertise and her energy will be invaluable to this project,” said Bruce Roter, a music professor at the College of Saint Rose and the man behind the museum plans.

Roter, who also spearheaded the successful campaign to bring Trader Joe’s to the region, worked for Teachout’s Democratic primary campaign last year. He said he met her at an event in Albany and later asked her join the board. After assuring her office that her contributions would take up only as much time as she had to spare, he was told that “she’s on board.”

Read Amy Biancolli’s full story here.

Teachout and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Preet Bharara are scheduled to take part in Friday’s the Fordham Law Review’s symposium “Fighting Corruption in America and Abroad.”

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today called for the end of all outside income and per diem payments for members of the State Legislature.

Senator Bob Menendez’s appearance in Newark last night seemed more like an election night victory rally rather then the first public comments from a man who just hours earlier had been hit with a 14 count Federal criminal corruption indictment.

William Scarborough put job availability notices for the Justice Department and Conflict of Interest Board on his Facebook page.

The jurist said Preet Bharara “played fast and loose” with his role as U.S. Attorney, but would not dismiss his case against Sheldon Silver.

New York Senate Leader Dean Skelos has been charged with extortion, conspiring to commit fraud, and soliciting bribes.

Dean Skelos declined to respond to press questions as to whether he would step down at Senate Majority Leader following his arrest.

Eric Schneiderman demanded the state legislature pass a package of reforms slashing campaign contributions and expanding corruption law.

Among the ill-gotten perks of being Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos’ son was a $100,000 no-show job, according to an indictment.

Andrew Cuomo argued that there is not enough time left in the legislative session for Eric Schneiderman’s ethics reform proposal to pass.

Assemblyman David Buchwald insisted Tuesday that his pension forfeiture bill — drubbed as a “watered-down” reform by GOP leader Brian Kolb — isn’t a betrayal of the ethics reform agreement reached at the end of March by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and then-Senate leader Dean Skelos.

“I’ve never been a believer that the perfect should be the enemy of the good,” Buchwald said in an interview.

The Westchester Democrat said the measure, which passed four Assembly committees on Monday, was in harmony with the goals of earlier pension-forfeiture bills he has sponsored — and continues to sponsor — as well as the budget agreement, which included the five ethics goals that Cuomo demanded in the wake of the arrest of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

That three-way agreement (or four, if you include Sen. Jeff Klein) followed a separate peace reached by Cuomo and Heastie almost two weeks before the budget deadline. The pension element of the deal was described in the jointly issued news release:

Public officials who are convicted of public corruption should not have taxpayers pay for their retirement. The agreement will apply New York’s pension forfeiture law to all public officials who are convicted of public corruption, including those who entered the retirement system before enactment of the pension forfeiture law in 2011. The law allows a judge to protect an innocent spouse and goes into effect after a second passage of a constitutional amendment by the legislature and voter approval in 2017.

Indeed, the bill passed by the Senate and crafted by the three leaders doesn’t say much more than that summary suggests. “The Legislature shall enact legislation to implement this amendment taking into account interests of justice,” it says.

Buchwald’s bill, in contrast, effectively acts as that enacting legislation: For example, it specifies that the change only applies to a narrower class of “public officers”: any elected official, gubernatorial appointees, municipal managers, the heads of state or local government board or commissions, judges and justices, “the chief fiscal officer or treasurer of any municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state” or “a legislative, executive, or judicial employee of this state who directly assists in the formulation of legislation, rule, regulation, policy or judicial decision-making and who is designated as a policymaker as defined by law or as authorized by law.”

“I don’t see the new version as being contrary” to the deal worked out by the three men in the room, Buchwald said.

He expected the bill to make it to the floor for a vote before the end of session.

Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif said, “The Senate has already passed a pension forfeiture measure that was the result of a three-way agreement between the Governor, Senate and Assembly.”

A spokesman for Cuomo declined comment.

Rent control isn’t the only issue bogged down by the passage of two incongruent one-house bills: The push toward a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to strip the pension of all sitting public officials convicted of corruption is similarly deadlocked.

Legislation to begin the process for making the change was agreed upon by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders at the end of the budget negotiation in March. But while the Republican-controlled Senate — then under the control of Dean Skelos — passed the measure along with a stack of budget bills as the deadline loomed, the Assembly delayed its vote amid concerns that the change was too broad, and risked scooping up lower-level public workers who cross the legal line.

On Wednesday, the Assembly passed a bill sponsored by Assemblyman David Buchwald that currently has no sponsor in the Senate.

The Senate GOP seems satisfied with its action in March to pass the original bill. “We aren’t refusing to act,” said spokesman Scott Reif in an email. “We already passed a pension forfeiture measure that was the result of a three-way agreement between the Governor, Senate and Assembly.”

Like many bills calling for constitutional amendments, the bill passed by the Senate is spare and leaves the granular details to future legislative action: “The Legislature shall enact legislation to implement this amendment taking into account interests of justice,” it says.

Buchwald’s bill effectively acts as that enacting legislation.

While the Senate bill applies to any “public official” convicted of corruption connected to his or her office, Buchwald’s measure specifies that the change only applies to a narrower class of “public officers”: elected officials as well as gubernatorial appointees, municipal managers, the heads of state or local government boards or commissions, judges and justices, “the chief fiscal officer or treasurer of any municipal corporation or political subdivision of the state” or “a legislative, executive, or judicial employee of this state who directly assists in the formulation of legislation, rule, regulation, policy or judicial decision-making and who is designated as a policymaker as defined by law or as authorized by law.”

The bill doesn’t have to be passed this session: A constitutional amendment needs to be approved by two subsequently elected legislatures before it can be put before a statewide vote for final approval. That means the second passage couldn’t occur until the seating of a new Legislature in 2017. A statewide vote could be done in November of the same year.

Last week, Cuomo said there was no disagreement, and termed the issue “a matter of process.”

John Sampson was found guilty of lying to the FBI and threatening to “take out” potential cooperating witnesses.

Andrea Stewart-Cousins said she still believed Andrew Cuomo should call a special legislative session to deal with corruption issues.

The latest monthly contract approvals from the office of state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli include more than $600,000 in costs related in one way or another to ethical scandals.

The approved payouts for June include $227,000 to the firm of Hogan Lovells “in pending sexual harassment litigation.”

More than a half-dozen suits have been brought against former Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak, the chamber in general and former Speaker Sheldon Silver in particular by onetime employees of the Western New York Democrat, who in December 2013 revealed allegations that the lawmaker committed sexual harassment, professional intimidation and generally appalling office behavior.

Gabryszak’s female staffers brought suit against the lawmaker as well as three other defendants who they claim failed to take appropriate steps to end the alleged abuse: his former chief of staff Adam Locher, Silver and the Assembly itself.

Hogan Lovells defended the chamber in another lawsuit brought by two former employees of disgraced former Assemblyman Vito Lopez. The Daily News reported the firm was pulling down $500 an hour in the Lopez case, which was settled.

Court filings note that in the Gabryszak matter, the firm is representing Silver alone.

Assembly Democratic conference spokesman Michael Whyland said in an email that despite the Comptroller’s description that the bill was related to “pending” matters, the June payment was mostly Lopez-related. He noted that the chamber is now being represented by the attorney general’s office in the Gabryszak matter.

Gabryszak’s attorney Terrence Connors — who noted regretfully that he was not making $500 an hour — said the cases are still the subject of pre-trial motions as both sides discuss ways in which the 80-plus causes of action might be pared down to a manageable size.

In addition to the $227,000 to Hogan Lovells, the June payments listed:

• $23,000 to Rossein Associates for outside counsel related to sexual harassment policy development and investigations.
• $3,000 to Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP for outside counsel for independent sexual harassment investigations.
• $3,000 to Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP for outside counsel for the appeals process in the matter of Assemblyman Micah Kellner.

DiNapoli’s office approved a $381,000 payment to O’Connell & Aronowitz PC for legal fees related to the defense of former state Sen. Joseph Bruno.

Here’s the Comptroller’s full release on the June contract approvals and payouts:

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office approved 1,887 contracts valued at $12.3 billion and approved nearly 1.3 million payments worth approximately $11.8 billion in June. His office also rejected 170 contracts and related transactions valued at $356 million and more than 2,000 payments valued at more than $7.3 million due to fraud, waste or other improprieties.

Cumulatively through June for calendar year 2015, DiNapoli’s office has approved approximately 10,240 contracts valued at nearly $135 billion and approved more than 14.3 million payments worth more than $69.7 billion. His office has also rejected 1,071 contracts and related transactions valued at $2.9 billion and approximately 24,000 payments valued at $59.1 million.

As the state’s chief financial officer, DiNapoli’s office reviews contracts for all state agencies and certain contracts for state public authorities and audits all state payments. This independent review ensures that costs are reasonable, the playing field is level and taxpayers get the best value for their money. These independent audits also help ensure payments are free from fraud, waste and improprieties.

The Comptroller’s office averaged six days for contract reviews in June and two days to audit payments.

DiNapoli releases this monthly notice to provide current information about the number and types of contracts and payments made by the state. This builds on his commitment to added transparency via his Open Book New York website.

Legislative Travel and Per Diem Expenses

Legislative travel and per diem expenses for calendar years 2013 and 2014, and year-to-date expenses for calendar 2015, have been updated and are posted in the Comptroller’s reading room. This information is updated quarterly.

Major Contracts Approved

Attorney General
· $1.5 million contract with New York State Industries for the Disabled for data imaging and document destruction services.

Department of Civil Service
· $85 million contract amendment with ValueOptions Inc. for mental health and substance abuse services for state and local government employees.

NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision
· $52.8 million with Erie County Medical Center Corporation for inmate health services.
· $40 million with Bio-Reference Laboratories for medical laboratory services.
· $5.5 million for 10 contracts for commissary items at Auburn Correctional Facility.
· $3.5 million with Kalos Inc. for software development and maintenance for pharmaceutical administration.
· $2.6 million for 13 contracts for commissary items at Mohawk Correctional Facility.

Gaming Commission
· $1.5 million contract amendment with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP for gaming advisory services for the review of Southern Tier casino license applicants.

Office of General Services for the Department of Transportation
· $49 million for 17 contracts for vendor-placed hot mix asphalt, including $13.7 million with Hanson Aggregates, $5.5 million with Callanan Industries, and $5.5 million with Barrett Paving Materials.
· $12.7 million for six contracts for liquid bituminous materials, including $5.6 million with Suit-Kote Corp., $2.8 million with Peckham Road Corp., and $2.3 million with Midland Asphalt Materials.

Health Department
· $8.2 billion with Health Insurance of Greater New York for comprehensive health services to Medicaid and/or Family Health Plus beneficiaries.
· $1.8 billion with VNS Choice for comprehensive health services to Medicaid and/or Family Health Plus beneficiaries.
· $109 million contract extension with Mead Johnson and Company for WIC infant formula rebate.
· $31.5 million with KPMG, LLP for Health Care Reform Act performance audits.

New York Convention Center Operating Corporation (Javits Center)
· $17.5 million renewal of revenue-generating contract with Service America Corporation for food and beverage concession.

Taxation and Finance
· $1.4 million for 11 contracts with David R. Maltz & Co., Spandco Inc., Mel Manasse & Son Auctioneers, and Bontrager Real Estate and Auction for the storage and auction of seized vehicles and businesses.

Thruway Authority
· $2.5 million with Oakgrove Construction Inc. for miscellaneous pavement repairs and resurfacing at various locations on I-90, Buffalo Division.
· $1.9 million with Villager Construction Inc. for miscellaneous pavement repairs and resurfacing, various locations, Syracuse Division.

Department of Transportation
· $18.5 million with Rifenburg Construction Inc. for NYS Rte. 85 pavement rehabilitation and reconstruction in the city of Albany.
· $5.6 million with Rifenburg Construction Inc. for pavement preventive and protective maintenance in Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties.
· $3.2 million with Peckham Road Corp. for pavement rehabilitation on Rte. 30 in the towns of Wells and Hope, Hamilton County.
· $2.4 million with Lake Shore Paving Inc. for road resurfacing for Rte. 60 in the town of Kiantone and city of Jamestown.
· $2.2 million with Accent Stripe Inc. for pavement marking in Monroe, Ontario, and Wayne counties.
· $2.2 million with Sealand Contractors Corp. for pavement maintenance in Allegany, Ontario, Schuyler, Steuben, and Yates counties.
· $1.6 million with Bothar Construction LLC for asphalt concrete resurfacing on Rte. 144 in Elmira, Chemung County.

State University of New York
· $350 million for SUNY Binghamton with Sodexo Management Inc. for campus food and beverage services. Net revenue to SUNY is estimated at $100 million.
· $430,000 for the University at Albany Foundation for purchase of 423 State St., Albany, for the chancellor’s residence.

Major Payments Approved

Tax Refunds
· $247.4 million for 177,000 personal income tax refunds.
· $170.3 million for 41,000 corporate and other refunds.
· $25,000 for 157 property tax freeze credits.

Division of Criminal Justice
· $1.95 million to NYC for traffic and criminal software.

Department of Economic Development
· $256,000 to Western New York Technology Development, $256,000 to Long Island Forum for Technology Inc., and $162,000 to Central New York Technology Development Organization to increase the competitiveness of New York companies through Regional Technology Development Centers.

Department of Environmental Conservation
· $2.1 million to Buffalo Sewer Authority for water quality improvements.
· $676,000 to Rifenburg Construction Inc. to rehabilitate the Lake George Beach parking lot.

State Education Department
· $2.5 million to NCS Pearson Inc. to develop state assessments.
· $643,000 to Common Core Inc. to develop New York State Common Core learning standards.

New York State Gaming Commission
· $775,000 to Morrisville Auxiliary Corporation at Morrisville State College for equine drug testing.

Department of Health
· $49.8 million to ten companies for Child Health Plus insurance.

New York State Legislature – Assembly
· $227,000 to Hogan Lovells US LLP to defend the Assembly in pending sexual harassment litigation.
· $23,000 to Rossein Associates for outside counsel related to sexual harassment policy development and investigations.
· $3,000 to Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux LLP for outside counsel for independent sexual harassment investigations.
· $3,000 to Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP for outside counsel for the appeals process in the matter of Assemblyman Micah Kellner.

New York State Legislature – Senate
· $381,000 to O’Connell & Aronowitz PC for legal fees related to the defense of former state Senator Joseph Bruno.

Department of Motor Vehicles
· $322,000 to Cable TV Association of NY Inc. for highway safety.

Department of Transportation
· $5.7 million to Rifenburg Construction Inc. for various construction projects.

State University of New York
· $112,000 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pay a fine for SUNY Downstate Medical Center’s improper disposal of lab waste.

New York State Urban Development Corporation
· $12 million to Empire State Development Corporation for Fort Schuyler Management Corporation to establish the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend Park.

Local Government Assistance
· $359.2 million to12 cities for the Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) Program.
· $29.3 million to various cities, towns, villages, and counties for video lottery terminal payments.