", But Blair Horner, of the New York Public Interest Research Group, said: "It would have been far better for the state's ethics watchdog to wave and move on. Letizia Tagliafierro works at New York State Inspector General, which is a State company with an estimated 67 employees. Yorkers and it remains my goal as a public servant to earn and exceed the trust Letizia Tagliafierro, left, and Gov. Letizia is currently based in Albany, New York. An investigation by Offices of the Inspector General found that on two separate occasions, Cataldi, who was employed as a Supervising Motor Vehicle Representative 1 at the Richmond County DMV office, wrongfully and knowingly accessed the personal records of a woman and relayed that information to that womans estranged spouse against whom a court issued order of protection had been filed, and to whom Cataldi was acquainted. ALBANY Letizia Tagliafierro, a former top aide to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned from her position Friday in the wake of a revived probe into the offices past investigation of an illegal leak involving one-time Cuomo confidante Joe Percoco. Prior to todays appointment as Executive Director, Ms. Intergovernmental Affairs where she managed communications and coordination Queen Letizia of Spain was a springtime vision as she hosted an event with her husband King Felipe VI at the royal palace. The Commission provides information, education, and advice regarding current ethics and lobbying laws, and promotes compliance with these laws through audits, investigations, and enforcement proceedings. New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro and Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon today announced the felony guilty plea and resignation of a New York State Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) supervisor who improperly accessed a woman's personal DMV records and provided them to the woman's estranged spouse against whom a restraining order had been filed. New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro has resigned amid a revived probe into the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), which pertains to a previous investigation into an illegal leak that was centered around Joe Percoco, a former aide of shamed former Gov. A . New York Inspector General Resigns amid Talk of Potential - Breitbart Cuomo and state legislative leaders on Friday announced a commission to review the performance of JCOPE since it was created in 2011. Legislative Assistant to former State Senator Serphin Maltese. Anyone can read what you share. Gov. Does N.Y. already have authority to bust illegal pot shops? A second, separate motion that would begin a criminal probe into the IGs own inquiry into the leak failed during the public session of the meeting. Former JCOPE Commissioner Julie Garcia, who first reported the leak, told a state Senate panel earlier this month that the inspector general's office was either "incompetent or corrupt" in its 2019 investigation of the apparent disclosure. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics today named Letizia Larry Fortensky (January 17, 1952 - July 7, 2016) was a construction worker best known as the seventh and last husband (but eighth marriage) of actress Elizabeth Taylor. She also allegedly took $52,646 in NYCHA rental assistance. We've received your submission. A spokesman for Cuomo declined to answer when asked if she had left of her own accord. In that role since mid-2012, Ms. Tagliafierro oversaw all She also served as deputy director for ethics, risk and compliance as well as special counsel to the superintendent for ethics, risk and compliance at the state Department of Financial Services under the third-term Democrat. Her leadership skills, integrity, commitment to public service and her diverse background in government made her a terrific choice for Executive Director, said Commission Chair Daniel J. Horwitz. She currently serves as Cuomo's deputy secretary for intergovernmental affairs and special counsel. She first began working for Cuomo during his tenure as state attorney general. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents the findings of an investigation by the Office of the New York State Inspector General into the New York State Police's (State Police) investigation of a specialized But the former acting major of the detail testified its members were tasked with knowing the whereabouts of everyone at the mansion and near the governor, so they would send the messages anyway. Whomever Ms. Hochul appoints, the inspector general, under state law, will continue to report to the governors secretary. NEW YORK, New York (WBRC) - A Calera woman was arrested and charged with several counts after prosecutors said she committed welfare fraud and stole more than $120,000 in welfare and housing benefits in New York. Through increased transparency, compliance training and enforcement, our public officials and those hoping to influence government decisions will be held accountable.. Pilgrim Psych Center Associate Director of Operations Arrested for Under state law it is a misdemeanor for commissioners to share confidential information, and the revelations led to scandal. Varlacks appointment takes effect immediately. Straface's testimony about the reassignment of the female trooper who last year accused Cuomo of touching her inappropriately and engaging her in inappropriate conversations aligns with that of an unidentified senior investigator who had been instructed by Cuomo to arrange for the young female trooper to be offered a job on the detail, according to the attorney general's report issued in August. Governor Cuomo Announces Administration Appointments legislative branches of State government. prosecutor, Ms. Tagliafierro was named Special Counsel to the Commissioner of Auto insurance going up? Attorney at the Office of the New York State Attorney General in Buffalo. She is a SUNY trustee and previously worked under Cuomo as deputy director of state operations, chief risk officer and special counsel according to her LinkedIn page. He also was a deputy special master of the federal September 11, 2001 Victim Compensation Fund. Howard Zucker, whose handling of nursing home deaths as health commissioner attracted wide criticism, remains with the administration. He will be replaced by attorney Camille Joseph Varlack, a partner at Manhattan law firm Bradford, Edwards & Varlack, the Times Union first reported. It's better to steer clear of Albany's elite given the ethical cauldron that currently exists.". Anna Tagliafierro Obituary (1938 - 2021) - Saugerties, NY - Daily Freeman Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, This page is available in other languages, Joint Commission on Public Ethics Names Letizia Tagliafierro As the New Executive, Communications and Public Information Office, Ethics Training for Lobbyists and Clients, Registration and Reportable Business Relationship ('RBR') Information, Lobbyist Bi-Monthly and Disbursement of Public Monies Information, Client Semi-Annual Report and Source of Funding Information, Application for Waiver of Late Filing Fee. He later worked on the detail for governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson, and continued that work under Cuomo. John Kaehny, a good-government advocate, said Ms. Tagliafierros appointment was part of a broad pattern within the Cuomo administration of defanging watchdogs. When asked by the investigators why the campaign did not want him to receive the political event details on his government email account, Straface said: "Honestly I don't know. The report said the senior investigator "subsequently received a call from a high-level staff member within the Executive Chamber who instructed him to 'hire the female trooper from the bridge' and stated, with respect to the policy, 'we are making adjustments for her.'". their clients as well as all Financial Disclosure Statements filed by State Such conduct will not be tolerated, and the Offices of the Inspector General will continue to ensure that those who engage is such conduct are held accountable. Copyright 2021 WBRC. Tagliafierro was appointed to the post by Cuomo in 2019 and before that served in multiple roles in the executive chamber including deputy secretary for intergovernmental affairs, special counsel to the governor and special counsel for public safety. Queen Letizia of Spain is elegant in a green dress in Madrid - MSN The investigation included reviewing real estate and employment records, use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, bank records, and Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn account postings. ALBANY Gov. Serling was arrested and arraigned in New York City Criminal Court before Hon. "They did not talk about current events. Two top staffers, Melissa DeRosa and Richard Azzopardi, as well as Linda Lacewell, the head of Department of Financial Services, have moved on after the attorney generals report found they had helped the former governor respond to and contain allegations of sexual harassment. The Times Union previously reported that Percoco set the tone for Cuomo's control of the detail early in the governor's first term, when he ordered an end to the practice of keeping a trooper posted at the bottom of the stairs leading to the second floor of the mansion; after that, members of the unit were exclusively stationed outside the residence. Before joining the Joint Commission, Ms. Tagliafierros career spanned a variety of roles in public service, including eight years as an Assistant District Attorney in Erie County after four years as a Legislative Assistant to former State Senator Serphin Maltese. Last month, the commission voted to reopen the leak matter and the inspector generals investigation of it, referring both to the state attorney general, Letitia James. Born Jan. 7, 1938 in Amorosi, Italy, she was the daughter of the . The inspector general's office also subpoenaed some phone and text message records. But JCOPE itself has come under fire in recent years and accused for its lack of transparency. In July, the Times Union disclosed new details about Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie's interactions with Cuomo following the alleged leak. After the Times Union reported in March 2018 about the matter, the agency fired Gestring for an unrelated offense. NY ethics panel chair steps down, replaced by ex-Cuomo aide members are evenly split among the two major political parties. Andrew M. Cuomo bumps elbows with a 30-year-old female trooper at an event at Penn Station in Manhattan in December 2020. The investigation also found that Serling used two different Social Security numbers and she misrepresented her residence to obtain $52,646 in rental benefits through a NYCHA program. (NYS Inspector General), USS Slater kept afloat by shrinking number of volunteers, Saratoga Springs firefighters want chief out, Three more Rensselaer County officials charged in FBI probe, Head coach, several players out at Albany Empire after pay issues, Nearly five years later, Schoharie limo families ready for trial, WFP line in Rensselaer County's 2021 races key in FBI case. Yet the investigation did not include interviews with key individuals embroiled in the allegations, including Cuomo and Heastie. Executive Director Tagliafierro's appointment follows a nationwide recruitment effort that entailed advertisements in top legal publications and newspapers, leading to more than 70 resumes received and reviewed. Like her predecessor, Ms. Adair is an attorney who has worked closely with Mr. Cuomo, serving as his special counsel for ethics, risk and compliance. the administration of publicly available disclosure filings of lobbyists and So too do Robert Mujica, who served as Mr. Cuomos budget director, and Janet DiFiore, another JCOPE alumna, now serving as the states top judge. The inspector general's office handles investigations of potential wrongdoing by a large swath of public employees as well as private entities doing business with the state. Joint Commission on Public Ethics Names Letizia Tagliafierro As the New Top members of Cuomo's administration previously told the Times Union they were not certain who the high-level official was who had intervened to change the rules for the female trooper. You can cancel at any time. New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro today announced the guilty plea of an Erie County roofer who failed to provide legally required workers' compensation insurance to his employees. Rebecca Dore. Andrew M. Cuomo who later became his state inspector general, was the unnamed "high-level staff member" in the Executive Chamber who four years ago directed the State Police to bend the rules so that a young female trooper whom the governor met at an event could be appointed to his protective detail. We tallied the votes from this years Best of the Capital Region contest in 100 categories. Letizia Tagliafierro Work Experience and Education. He is still listed on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, however. ALBANY State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott has been replaced by Letizia Tagliafierro, a longtime aide to Gov. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Anna Dipaola Tagliafierro to pay them a last tribute.