The head of the state's ethics watchdog said he's putting the pressure on legislative leaders to quickly fill three vacancies on the commission after the state's highest court affirmed the agency's constitutionality.

On Feb. 18, the state Court of Appeals rejected former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's arguments that the state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government violated the separation of powers mandated under New York's constitution.

COELIG Executive Director Sanford Berland said commissioners will have a busy year with the case behind them, but legislative leaders must step in to make that possible.

"Now we can go about our business as we should be able to do and do our jobs of ensuring that state workforce, lobbyists, the lobbying community, their clients are all abiding by the laws that govern their conduct," Berland exclusively told Spectrum News 1 on Friday.

Cuomo, who has thrown his hat into the ring for New York City mayor, lost his challenge of the agency's constitutionality after the commission opened a probe into his $5 million pandemic book deal.

It's unclear if the commission will resume its probe and try to claw back the former governor's $5 million profit. Berland declined to comment on the case, adding state law prohibits commissioners from discussing issues.

"Our goal is to enforce the laws and to do all the things that we're supposed to do with zeal," Berland said.

But the litigation stalled several investigations, forcing the commission to delay formal evidentiary hearings until the case was settled.

It also stalled Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt and Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay from filling three vacancies on the commission, which remain open.

Berland is calling on the governor and legislative leaders to make those appointments as soon as possible to assist with the backlog.

"Having the additional commissioners and their contributions will only help our work," the executive director said.

Barclay said he has candidates in mind and will make an appointment in the near future, but could not give a time frame. The Assembly Republican said he wanted to wait to see the outcome of the litigation.

"Our original appointment resigned, and litigation challenged the constitutionality of the commission," Barclay said. "Very few people are lining up to take a job that may not exist.”

Hochul has appointed two of her three appointments to the commission. A spokesperson with her office said the third appointment is under review, but would not answer who tops the governor's list.

"With COELIG's constitutionality confirmed by the state's highest court, we look forward to the commission continuing its critically important work of bringing greater transparency and accountability to state government," Hochul's spokesperson said in a statement.

The commission gets about 150 complaints per year, and has about 220 pending cases, Berland said.

Commissioners are asking the legislature for an extra $844,000 in the budget, and to hire 11 more staffers, which would bring the agency to a total of 68 full-time employees.

"Now that the Cuomo case has been decided, we want to go out and fill all of those positions," Berland said.

NYPIRG senior policy advisor Blair Horner said more staff and funding would help the commission succeed.

"If they have the resources they think that they need, then we'd be supportive of that," Horner said.

The good-government group wants the legislature to create more distance between the ethics enforcement agency and the policymakers it investigates, and make advocacy for gubernatorial appointees count as lobbying.

But Berland argues lawmakers don't need to change the commission's structure, and the Court of Appeals ruling speaks for itself. Instead, the commission has a host of legislative priorities this session, including changing state law to allow civil actions to impose accessorial liability. Berland said it would strengthen COELIG's ability to pursue individuals who aid others in violating state lobbying law.

Several good-government organizations have publicly encouraged COELIG to resume its investigation into Cuomo's book deal and if the former governor used state resources to write his pandemic memoir.

"Anytime you're in the executive branch in New York state government, you're supposed to be a full-time employee," Horner said. "You're not supposed to be moonlighting and that's what the old ethics commission allowed him to do."

A spokesperson for Cuomo did not respond to a request for comment.