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* Reposted from Gotham Gazette. Written by Ethan Geringer-Sameth*  

Before taking the state’s highest office, then-Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul promised to take big strides away from the corruption and impropriety that have characterized Albany politics for decades. ​​Among her commitments was to craft policies to prevent conflicts of interest related to the business dealings of her husband, a senior executive at an international gaming company, and the spouses of other high-ranking executive branch officials, especially Secretary to the Governor Karen Persichilli Keogh.

More than two months into her tenure as governor, no policy has been made public and government watchdogs continue to question what guardrails are in place during ongoing state decision-making.

In answering some of the persistent questions around whether a conflicts-of-interest policy exists and what it entails, Hochul’s administration is offering new details and a promise that the policy will be released publicly.

“Governor Hochul is committed to restoring trust in government, and she holds herself and her staff to the highest ethical standards," Avi Small, the governor's spokesperson, told Gotham Gazette. "Before the Hochul Administration began, the Governor and Secretary signed recusals to prevent even the appearance of conflicts of interest. We have been consulting with legal experts on these policies, and we are planning to release them publicly.”

For full article visit: https://www.gothamgazette.com/state/10859-hochul-release-conflicts-of-i…