Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hevesi caught looking the other way

From the Daily News:

A state assemblyman was secretly recorded saying that his leadership has refused to sign off on a potential probe into an agency designed to protect the developmentally disabled.

Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D—Queens), who chairs the chamber’s investigations committee, said Assembly Democratic leadership believes the Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs touted by Gov. Cuomo is a fraud but isn’t prepared to investigate at this time.

“I didn’t like their response,” Hevesi is heard telling activist Michael Carey, who made the secret recording on May 7. “But the feedback I got was, ‘We want to do this--we don’t want to do this right now.’”

Carey, whose autistic son was suffocated as a state employee tried to restrain him, has claimed that the Justice Center is not referring most cases of abuse in state facilities to the proper authorities.

Hevesi on the recording tells Carey his leadership wants him to start a preliminary review by meeting with Justice Center officials.

“I’m not thrilled, but I don’t have a choice,” Hevesi said.

But when Carey asks why he won’t just supbonea documents, Hevesi said, “I’m not allowed to do that.”

When Carey asked if Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver blocked him, Hevesi responded: “He didn’t say that to me, but I know the leadership is not willing to do that.”

1 comment:

JQ said...

if there was only a commission assigned by the governor that can investigate this corrupt center and its blatant abuse and neglect

oh yeah,the no moreland commission.

Cuomo must go.