STATEMENT OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY MADELINE SINGAS REGARDING TODAY’S ORDER OF THE SECOND CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS IN U.S. v. SKELOS
“The Second Circuit’s order should not detract from the continuing need to embrace comprehensive and meaningful reforms to fortify our government contracting processes from manipulation, self-dealing and pay-to-play corruption. After Dean Skelos was charged in 2015, my office thoroughly reviewed Nassau’s contracting processes and recommended the establishment of an independent inspector general and modern conflict-checking procedures to guard against corruption and abuse. The vulnerabilities in Nassau County government exposed by our review remain substantially unaddressed, the Board of Ethics is conflicted and lacks a quorum, and the taxpayers are ill-served every day that our elected leaders fail to enact the reforms to prevent the corruption that continues to compromise public confidence in our government.”