A good-government organization on Friday called for more than half dozen measures that are meant to expand financial disclosure rules for a variety of public officials in New York.
The measures, broadly, would expand financial transparency requirements to a variety of public officials like those in the judiciary as well as for economic development panels that have been influential in receiving state support for money meant to create jobs.
Financial disclosure rules currently in place require state elected officials, party leaders and appointees disclose ranges of income and investments, with the forms publicly available.
The group Reinvent Albany wants to expand those measures to include judges in New York as well as the members of the Regional Economic Development Council. The group is also backing a change to financial transparency laws to require the disclosure of cryptocurrency investments.
"Financial disclosure statements allow the public and ethics oversight agencies to see potential conflicts of interest arising from officials’ outside business dealings or those of their family members," the group stated. "However, financial disclosures are only so useful as they are complete, easy to analyze through open, machine-readable formats, and inclusive of enough public officials."
The group is also backing legislation greater disclosure and public availability of candidates running for statewide and legislative office in New York as well as the electronic filing of statements.