New Board Members Head to MTA — Minus Two Names

Following WNYC and other reports about a potential conflict of interest, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has withdrawn one of his nominees for the MTA board.

Earlier this month, Cuomo nominated Infor CEO Charles Phillips to the agency's board. But Infor had won a $27 million contract with the MTA just two months prior. In addition, Phillips and Infor both made significant donations to Cuomo's campaign. That one-two combo raised objections from good government groups, who warned of conflict of interest.

On Friday night, as the legislative session drew to a close, Cuomo quietly withdrew Phillips from MTA contention.

James Allen, a spokesman for the governor, said he intends to nominate Phillips to the board of the Empire State Development Corporation instead of the MTA.

"Given his extensive experience in the business and technology sectors, we came to the mutual determination that Mr. Phillips would best serve New Yorkers by advising the state on economic development policy," said Allen.

Another Cuomo nominee, Peter Ward, who is the the president of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, was confirmed by the Senate Friday.

Two of de Blasio's nominees were also confirmed: David Jones, the head of the Community Service Society, and Veronica Vanterpool, the executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

A third, New York City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, was not.

It's not entirely clear from the MTA's ethics guidelines whether elected officials are eligible for service on the MTA board. They cannot hold a position within a political party. Former board member David Paterson had to resign his post at the MTA after he was picked by Gov. Cuomo to run the state's Democratic party.

In a statement Monday, a spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said "we're pleased that two nominees have been confirmed, giving New York City a greater voice on the board. We are assessing how best to ensure the City will have its full representation in decision-making that will affect our residents for decades to come."

Now that the state's legislative session has ended, it seems probable that another year could pass before Cuomo and de Blasio get a chance to put their representatives on the MTA board.