Calling for reforms to the troubled body, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday her appointments to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics.
The Democrat tapped Suffolk County District Administrative Judge Randall Hinrichs to serve on the commission, and Commissioner James Dering to serve as the body’s acting chair. Dering is a partner at Garfunkel Wild, a law firm focused on the health care industry, and was previously the general counsel for the state Department of Health.
Hochul says she is also beginning a process to review and reform JCOPE, which came under mounting criticism while Andrew Cuomo was governor due to leaks related to its oversight role. Some legislators, like Democratic State Senator Liz Krueger, have proposed dismantling the commission, which critics claim has been largely toothless.