Contact: Daniel Egers- 718-690-3737
For Immediate Release June 30, 2009
Says Public Needs Stricter Oversight and Reform in Albany
(Queens, NY) With the recent revelation that Assembly Member Ann Margaret Carrozza moved last year to a sprawling mansion in tony Glen Head, Long Island and has turned her district residence into a rental property, violating state residency laws for elected officials, Queens GOP officials have begun to call for an investigation by the District Attorney, Attorney General and NYS Board of Ethics to protect the residents of the 26th Assembly District from being defrauded from having a full-time Assembly Representative.
According to Party Chairman Phil Ragusa, “In this time when Albany dysfunction is at an all-time high and government spending is out of control at every level of government, spurring tea parties from coast to coast, we need to be extremely diligent in demanding real reform from our elected officials. And the most basic reform we should demand is that officials truly live in the districts they are elected to represent, as required by law. There have been too many of these allegations over the years and we must now get serious about protecting the public from this type of fraud. The integrity of our entire democratic system is at risk here.”
While courts have historically been rather flexible in their interpretation of what constitutes a primary resident when office holders own or rent multiple residences, GOP officials note that by Carrozza’s own public statements she no longer maintains a residence by legal standards.
