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FBI Using Billboards In Fight Against Albany Corruption

(AP Photo/Mike Groll)

Authorities in New York's corruption-plagued capital city are using billboards to urge citizens to report crooked politicians, using a tactic more commonly employed to find missing people or fight drunk driving.

The digital billboard ads went up earlier this month along area interstates and feature a phone number and FBI website for tips.

The idea came from an anti-corruption taskforce that includes the FBI, the state comptroller and the state Attorney General.

Billboards have long been used to locate fugitives or warn about the risks of domestic violence or child abuse.

Using them to fight corruption is new, however, and just the latest indicator of how pervasive the problem is in Albany, where more than 30 lawmakers have faced criminal charges or allegations of misconduct in recent years.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.