Reinvent Albany Appreciates State Ethics Commission Publishing Recusal Forms
When in Doubt, Government Should Put Records Out
The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) did the right thing by releasing unredacted recusal forms for its commissioners. It is particularly important for ethics commissioners to hold themselves to the highest standards of transparency, including on how they address their own potential conflicts of interest.
In response to a Freedom of Information Law request, COELIG initially released redacted versions of commissioners’ recusals forms, as reported by New York Focus. The level of detail provided by commissioners on their forms was highly varied, indicating that there were different interpretations regarding whether the forms were for internal purposes, or would be shared with the public. For example, as provided in the forms posted on New York Focus’s website, one commissioner listed personal friends, while others only provided basic information about professional affiliations.
We understand that decisions around public disclosure can be highly complex, but agree with the Committee on Open Government that New York State’s Freedom of Information Law is based on a presumption of access. When in doubt, state agencies should put records out.