NY Assembly Approves Pension Forfeiture for Corrupt Officials

The New York State Assembly on Thursday passed a measure that would strip government pensions from public officials convicted of corruption-related crimes.

The vote was a unanimous 132-0; however, the bill is softer than previous iterations – including a version still supported by the Senate.

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The Assembly voted 132 to 0 to allow a judge to order pension benefits be withheld from public officers hired before 2011 who are convicted of future felony crimes that directly related to their public duties.

The judge may rule that a portion of the corrupt official’s pension benefits should be paid to the official’s spouse, minor children and other dependents.

All state workers would not be subject to the pension forfeiture under the Assembly bill.

Only elected officials, gubernatorial appointees, municipal managers, department heads, chief fiscal officers, judges and government policymakers would be subject to the penalty if they are convicted.

Assemblyman David Buchwald, D-Westchester, said he believed the Senate will pass the same bill, although the Senate leadership wanted a broader bill that could affect more state workers.