Rooting Out Albany's Political Corruption

The Brian Lehrer Show | Dec 15, 2015

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says politicians in Albany have a responsibility to police themselves to root out corruption, but they haven't exactly done a good job of that lately.

WNYC Albany reporter Karen Rouse and Albany bureau chief for The Daily News Ken Lovett talk about the U.S. attorney's work prosecuting corruption in Albany after the high-profile convictions of former state legislative leaders Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos.

Rouse says it's yet to be seen whether the type of corruption in Albany has been affecting policy (rather than, say, just lining the pockets of politicians).

And Lovett says the District Attorney and prosecutors have turned a blind eye to corruption for a long time, but now that Preet Bharara is on the scene, politicians are "rethinking how they do business."

→ Catch up on this story: Listen to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on yesterday's Brian Lehrer Show, discussing the recent convictions.

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