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Report: Cuomo Official Sought to Bar Whistleblower

Silver & Skelos

A published report says the Cuomo administration tried to keep a whistleblower from a Senate hearing on the state's care for the disabled. WAMC’s Dave Lucas reports…

The New York Times named the whistleblower: state worker Jeffrey Monsour, an outspoken critic of the system that provides care to thousands of people.

It says his invitation to the Monday hearing was pulled at the administration's request. But Monsour is now expected to attend the panel discussion after the administration relented.

An administration spokesman confirmed the reversal, but called Monsour's attendance a public relations effort to sensationalize the event.

The newspaper has written extensively about deaths and injuries involving patients in the state system.

Republican Senator Roy McDonald says Monsour's invitation was rescinded as a courtesy to the state disabilities commissioner.

Dave Lucas, WAMC News. 

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

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.