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Cuomo: 'Insulting' That Corrupt Pols Collect State Pension

New York's governor says it adds "insult to injury" that taxpayers have to pay for pensions for elected officials convicted of corruption.

Andrew Cuomo's comments on Thursday came after the state comptroller's office announced that two former legislative leaders found guilty of corruption are getting pensions.

Ex-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos' annual state pension is $95,831. Ex- Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is getting $79,222.

Skelos, a Long Island Republican, was convicted of using his influence to get his son no-show jobs with companies that had state interests.

Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, was convicted of trading favors to enrich himself.

Both have asked for the convictions to be thrown out, arguing crimes weren't proven.

Cuomo supports a Constitutional amendment that would strip pensions from elected officials convicted of official misconduct.

© 2016 AP

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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