Assembly Ethics Job Was A 'Waste Of Money': Jane Feldman

ALBANY, NY — Jane Feldman, the ex-Colorado public ethics official hired by the New York Assembly after a scandal involving then-Speaker Sheldon Silver, said her Albany job was "a waste of money." Feldman told the Times Union she "didn't do anything" after being brought in to lead the Assembly Office of Ethics and Compliance.

The office was created after Silver's was indicted in February 2015 on fraud and extortion charges. Feldman resigned in June and returned to Colorado, where she had served as the first executive director of Colorado's Independent Ethics Commission.

The former Manhattan assistant district attorney was hired by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to help bring reforms to the Democrat-controlled chamber.

Heastie's spokesman said her former office provides ethics training and expertise for lawmakers and staff, and was never meant to craft policy.

Photo credit: Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press