New York State Senator Todd Kaminsky, D-Long Beach, wants to make the state’s bribery laws stronger to combat corruption in Albany.
Kaminsky says it's difficult to prove in court that a bribe actually happened because attorneys have to show that a specific promise was made in exchange for a gift.
“We all know what this is, it looks like corruption, it smells like corruption, it is corrupt. You can’t give something to someone because of their official status, simple as that. That’s the basic form of corruption, and in New York there's a gaping hole that permits that right now for the most part. This would end that and make it a felony.”
Kaminsky’s bill would make it a crime for an official to accept any gift of over $3,000.
