RAIA BALKS AT CORRUPT LEGISLATORS PENSIONS

Assemblyman Andrew Raia

From the Office of Assemblyman Raia

Assemblyman Raia demands significant reform to combat public corruption.

 Assemblyman Andrew Raia is renewing his call for hard-hitting ethics reform after a recent Newsday article uncovered that 13 former state elected officials who were convicted of corruption charges are eligible to collect state pension checks totaling more than $604,000 a year. Raia has been a longtime advocate for a strong constitutional amendment that would strip corrupt politicians of their pensions. He has been a sponsor of numerous pieces of desperately needed anti-corruption legislation since 2013.

“Corruption isn’t a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, it knows no bounds and therefore needs to be solved in a bi-partisan matter,” said Raia. “It is inexcusable that even after two more state officials have been removed from office after corruption convictions that we have not heard anything from Assembly leadership on any kind of plan to prevent this plague permeating our state’s government. It’s a simple issue: If a politician is convicted of a felony, they do not deserve to receive a taxpayer-funded state pension.

“Just this past legislative session, Assembly Democrats had the chance to vote on stricter ethics laws, but chose not to. Then, they attempted to peddle a watered-down ethics bill that, in reality, does nothing but allow them to pat each other on the back and deceive the public into thinking they are policing themselves.”