Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith Joins Other Elected Officials In Calling For A Formal Investigation Into Disability Payments to Some L.I.R.R. Retirees
September 22, 2008
Senate Democrats applauds designation of Attorney General Cuomo to look into published reports of a disproportionate number of LIRR retirees receiving disability benefits, calls on United States Attorney to investigate as well
(New York, NY) In a letter to State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm A. Smith applauded the designation of the State’s highest law enforcement official to investigate recent allegations of practically universal disability benefits for many recently retired Long Island Rail Road employees.
Senator Smith, a Queens Democrat, is calling for a thorough investigation into the payment of these claims by the federal Railroad Retirement Board, in the wake of recent charges that retiring railroad employees receiving disability benefits may have been fraudulent. The Retirement Board administers various federal benefit programs for railroad employees.
“I am pleased to see Governor David Paterson’s swift decision to launch an investigation into possible fraud and illegality in connection with disability claims paid to some former LIRR employees,” said Senator Smith. “In a time of economic uncertainty and frequent mass transit fare hikes, it is truly unacceptable to let this go without penalty.”
Senator Smith said that in no way this should reflect negatively upon the years of commitment and dedication that many retired railroad employees have given to New York State.
The letter comes on the heels of Governor Paterson granting “broad” jurisdiction to the Attorney General to investigate into allegations uncovered by a recent New York Times article.
Smith noted in his letter to Attorney General Cuomo that the Senate Democratic Conference will monitor the ongoing state investigation to determine whether “any state legislation would be warranted to ensure that this kind of abuse does not occur in the future.”
Senator Smith concluded: “I look forward to the investigations’ findings and welcome the opportunity to work on any legislative proposals the Attorney General may deem necessary. I look forward to the findings and if any illegality is found, I urge full prosecution of all offenders to the full extent of the law.”.
Posted by News LI Editor · Filed Under Politics
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