Speaker Heastie Appoints New Member to Joint Commission on Public Ethics

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie today announced that he has appointed Richard F. Braun to serve on the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE).

“Mr. Braun has an impressive resume that clearly demonstrates his commitment to the legal process and public service,” said Speaker Heastie. “I am confident that his legal experience will be a valuable asset to the commission’s work, and will help to carry out the mission to ensure integrity in government.”

The commission oversees compliance by public officers with ethics laws and by lobbyists with the state laws that govern lobbying in order to avoid conflicts of interest on the part of those holding elected office or public employment in the State of New York. JCOPE also requires those who advocate for or against actions by state government to disclose their clients and their interactions with government officials.

The commission consists of 14 members, one appointed by the temporary president of the Senate, three appointed by the speaker of the Assembly, three appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, one appointed by the minority leader of the Assembly, and six appointed by the governor and the lieutenant governor.

Mr. Braun is a retired New York State Supreme Court justice for the first Judicial District of New York. He began his legal career as an attorney providing free legal aid to low income residents, and also worked as an attorney for the social justice law firm the Legal Aid Society Civil Division. Before serving as a judge, Mr. Braun was a clinical instructor of law at Hofstra Law School. Mr. Braun has extensive judicial experience, having served as an acting criminal court judge, civil court judge, acting supreme court justice, acting administrative judge and finally supreme court justice.