The NY Times reports that the NY State Inspector General is issuing a report accusing former state health commissioner Antonia Novello of using her staff as "her personal chauffeurs, porters and shopping assistants during her seven-year tenure." Novello, a Bush 41 administration surgeon general and Pataki appointment, reportedly "ordered a Medicaid fraud investigator in her department to drive her on trips to Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan... had state workers drive her or her mother from the Albany area to Newark Liberty International Airport... would embarrass and yell at [security guards turned drivers drivers] if they did not do things the way she wanted and expected them to be at her beck and call at all hours." Novello's lawyer questioned the allegations, but Inspector General Joseph Fisch, who referred a criminal case to the Albany DA, told the Times that Novello “shamelessly and blatantly exploited and abused her staff, adding a new dimension to the definition of ‘arrogance’ and ‘chutzpah.’" more ›

Only in Albany can you be nominated to head the Public Service Commission, which oversees utilities, and start doing work for the government - while still working for a private sector energy company! The state inspector general released a report explaining how this actually happened with former PSC nominee Angela Sparks-Beddoe last year. more ›

After the Humane Society revealed a tape of mistreatment of cows at the nation's "No. 2 supplier of ground beef to the National School Lunch Program," burgers and other beef products were temporarily yanked off NYC schools' menus. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had put an "administrative hold" on all products from Hallmark Meat Packing Packing in Chino, CA and asked all schools to stop using products from Westland/Hallmark Meat. more ›

It's an Albany power play! During a State Senate meeting about the whole Troopergate mess, it turns out the state inspector general could have given Attorney General Cuomo the power to subpoena Spitzer aides, but didn't. The State Inspector General's office had been conducting its own investigation into the various allegations about the state police being used to discredit State Majority leader Joseph Bruno, but ended it, because the inspector general reports to Spitzer's chief of staff - a conflict of interest. more ›

Many businesses have strict policies about accepting "gifts" from vendors, but when you work for a public agency, scrutiny is extremely intense. amNew York found an intriguing connection between an MTA executive's favorite charity and law firms that get business from his division. more ›

Congress is all about fraud stemming from September 11 relief efforts this week. A House oversight subcommittee has been discussing a number of programs which people not eligible for relief were able to apply for - and get relief. Sound familiar? Yes, it's just like what happened this past year after Hurricane Katrina. One notable example would be a program that gave people the option to buy new air conditioners, since their old ones would have been affected by the Ground Zero dust. Except many people who got money didn't even live near Ground Zero or even lived in apartments with central air! The AC program was budgeted at $15 million, but went to $100 million because of the many applications. With these hearings, and testimony from the Inspector General of Homeland Security, the House hopes not to repeat problems seen after September 11 and Hurricane Katrina; we hope problems leading up to those events won't be repeated either. more ›

Politicians whose states and cities were cut out of Homeland Security funding found more fuel for their anger after the release of the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report. The report criticized the DHS for having petting zoos, ice cream parlors, tackle shops, donut shops and flea markets on the list of terrorist targets. Senator Charles Schumer foamed at the mouth, "It's the most idiotic procedure. A sheriff in a small town in the Rockies shouldn't be deciding how homeland security funding is spent. It's just ridiculous ... they don't have the experience. Chertoff assured us that this money would be distributed in a smart way, and it was done in a dumb and probably political way." Politics at the Department of Homeland Security? No! The DHS says that the list is only one of the tools they use to determine funding, but come on, the fact that this list exists is not very encouraging. more ›