BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Shortly after taking office, Gov. Kathy Hochul instituted two recusal memoradums related to business with Delaware North with the goal of avoiding potential conflicts of interest while her husband served as a high level executive for the company.
This week, the governor's office updated that policy on her website with an opinion from counsel the recusals are rescinded in light of the First Gentleman stepping down and terminating all financial ties with the company. Reinvent Albany Executive Director John Kaehny said it will certainly make the governor's job easier.
"She would've benefitted from her husband stepping down as soon as she became governor. It created a lot of scrutiny and criticism that just wouldn't have happened if he had a different job," he said.
Even as the governor designated two top staffers to serve as the state's primary negotiators on a new gaming compact with the Seneca Nation, she still faced criticism for her connection to Delaware North, a direct gaming competitor to the tribe. Hochul's office said the administration continues to work on a deal and the governor is no longer recused from the negotiations, however, there is currently no meeting set up between her and Seneca leaders.
"I think it's more that the governor can choose to be more fully involved and informed about it. She so chooses now that she's going to be the one taking the lead," Kaehny said.
He said the governor's direct involvement could expedite a deal but the Senecas could still be skeptical of her motivations. The Nation did not offer comment Friday on the updated policy.
"There's neverending conflict of interest but there's reducing it and there's controlling it and if there's real public controversy about Delaware North and the governor's relationship to them, she might just want to ask the Committee on Ethics and Government for their own opinion," Kaehny said.
He said Hochul has no obligation to get an outside opinion from the state ethics agency and governors in the past have not taken that step.