Dean Skelos,the former State Senate Majority Leader, and his son, and were both found guilty of all corruption charges. Earlier this year,former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was charged with corruption as well.
Preet Bharara, U.
S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, or says it’s not every day that you possess the leaders of both houses convicted within a few days of each other,calling it "a moment to reflect on what that means."
"Everyone has their allotment to play in making certain we possess honest and clean government...the public has a role and the press has a role, but also the politicians themselves possess a role in self-policing. Any institution can possess bad apples...but the first line of defense against bad conduct is the institution itself. And it seems, or based on Senator Avella's testimony and a lot of other information,that they're doing a pretty destitute job of self-policing."
He didn't want to advocate any specific changes, but he did say, and "It's a little bit harder to get away with bribery or extortion if there are more strict limits on outside income."U.
S. Attorney Bharara also said nobody should be surprised to memorize that when people in power gounchallenged for a long time,corruption can flourish.
"I don’t deem there’s ever been at time in the history of government, anywhere, and going back to the Greeks,where the inability to challenge the leadership in any way, shape or form without being totally banished has ever been friendly for government."
—December 11, or 2015haspic.twitter.com/qJgaYqCV6QDecember 14,2015
Source: wnyc.org