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Seven state senators received thousands of dollars in questionable stipends earmarked for committee chairmen even though they don’t head any of the panels payroll documents say they do.
The revelations have prompted calls for criminal investigations from two government reform groups.
"Let's call this what it is: fraud,” Reclaim New York said in a statement. “This was the deliberate defrauding of New Yorkers, and another stain on a state legislature tarnished by corruption.
The New York Times reported this week that payroll records filed by the Senate Republicans falsely listed three members of the renegade Independent Democratic Conference members as committee chairs.
The three senators — Diane Savino of Staten Island, Jose Peralta of Queens, and David Valesky of Syracuse — were actually given the titles of vice chairman or chairwoman, which don’t come with stipends.
The Daily News further learned that four Republican senators — Patricia Ritchie of St. Lawrence County, Thomas O’Mara of Chemung County, Pamela Helming of Ontario County, and Patrick Gallivan of Erie County — were paid thousands of dollars in stipends this year even though they, too, didn’t head any of the committees payroll records submitted by the Senate said they did.
The actual committee chairmen were receiving higher stipends for serving in leadership posts. Their committee stipends were then given to the seven vice or deputy vice chairs.
Seven state senators took fraudulent stipends: Albany watchdogs
The revelations have prompted calls for criminal investigations from two government reform groups.
"Let's call this what it is: fraud,” Reclaim New York said in a statement. “This was the deliberate defrauding of New Yorkers, and another stain on a state legislature tarnished by corruption.
The New York Times reported this week that payroll records filed by the Senate Republicans falsely listed three members of the renegade Independent Democratic Conference members as committee chairs.
The three senators — Diane Savino of Staten Island, Jose Peralta of Queens, and David Valesky of Syracuse — were actually given the titles of vice chairman or chairwoman, which don’t come with stipends.
The Daily News further learned that four Republican senators — Patricia Ritchie of St. Lawrence County, Thomas O’Mara of Chemung County, Pamela Helming of Ontario County, and Patrick Gallivan of Erie County — were paid thousands of dollars in stipends this year even though they, too, didn’t head any of the committees payroll records submitted by the Senate said they did.
The actual committee chairmen were receiving higher stipends for serving in leadership posts. Their committee stipends were then given to the seven vice or deputy vice chairs.
Seven state senators took fraudulent stipends: Albany watchdogs
