Authors
Chris Bragg

Chris Bragg is the Albany bureau chief at New York Focus. He has done investigative reporting on New York government and politics since 2009, most recently at The Buffalo News and Albany Times Union.

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The interior of the New York State Capitol.
In Brief: Why Can’t New York Build an Effective Ethics Agency?

In a state known for scandals, Albany’s ethics enforcement has long been criticized.

November 22, 2024
We Investigated the Bronx Democratic Party. Here’s What We Learned.

Our reporting spurred the disclosure of millions in spending and illuminated the networks behind the Bronx political machine.

November 15, 2024
A photo illustration showing Bronx Democratic Party Chair Jamaal Bailey in front of the Bronx County Courthouse.
Want to Be a Judge in the Bronx? Better Pay These Firms.

A Bronx political firm close to the borough’s Democratic party chair, Jamaal Bailey, is cashing in on local civil court races.

November 13, 2024
A photo illustration showing President Donald Trump and NYC Mayor Eric Adams with backgrounds of the White House and Albany Capitol Building.
A Weak Showing From Harris, a Strong One from Congressional Dems, and a Win for Abortion Access: How New Yorkers Voted

Last month, we asked five questions about what would happen in the election. Here are the answers.

November 6, 2024
Former state budget director Robert Mujica sits at a table with a name card wearing a suit.
Former New York Budget Chief Robert Mujica’s Consulting Sparks Revolving Door Questions

New financial disclosures show when Mujica began consulting for the Greater New York Hospital Association.

October 29, 2024
State Senator Jamaal Bailey is shown during a senate session at the NY State Capitol in 2019.
Payday: Bronx Dems Spent Nearly $300,000 on Consultancy Tied to Party Chair Jamaal Bailey

It’s not clear what the money was used for in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans ten-to-one.

October 24, 2024
The word "fixed" is overlaid on top of a Bronx city skyline with a background of $20 bills.
Oh, There It Is! Bronx Dems Fix Disclosure Failure After New York Focus Reporting.

The disclosures included over a dozen missing or incomplete reports covering a period of more than four years.

October 22, 2024
A collage of images showing the Albany Capitol building, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and NYC Mayor Eric Adams.
Cheat Sheet: Navigating New York’s 2024 Elections

Here are the five topics we’re watching with the elections less than three weeks away.

October 16, 2024
What Does Turkey Want From Eric Adams?

Foreign governments have long courted local officials. Prosecutors are starting to go after them.

October 4, 2024
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie at his desk in the state Capitol
The Lobbyist Dating Carl Heastie Was Just Laid Off. He Was Not Pleased.

Rebecca Lamorte was let go by her employer in June, prompting the Assembly Speaker to place an upset call to her boss.

July 17, 2024
New York State Capitol in front of question marks
Senate Democrats Lock Down as Secret Committee Comes to Light

A secret group of Senate Democrats helped decide the fate of nearly 650 bills over the last month. Just don’t ask any questions.

June 6, 2024
A mostly-empty floor of slot machines at Resorts World Catskills, with one gambler sitting off to the side.
Casino Lobbying Fingerprints on Bill to Speed Up Licensing

Legislation to accelerate New York’s casino process copies a lobbying firm’s draft version nearly word for word.

June 5, 2024
New York Governor Kathy Hochul shakes hands with someone in a Buffalo Bills uniform at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey.
Ethics Commission Subpoenaed Hochul Administration Over Bills Box Seats

Asked for records related to top politicians’ use of a Buffalo Bills suite, Empire State Development cited potential interference with a law enforcement investigation.

May 31, 2024
An ornate Senate staircase in New York's Capitol building in Albany
This Secret Senate Committee Decides Whether Bills Live or Die

You haven’t heard of it, and your state senator might not have either. The Working Rules group helps determine the fate of hundreds of bills at the end of each legislative session.

May 30, 2024
Governor Kathy Hochul at Planned Parenthood rally
Judge Strikes Abortion Referendum From November Ballot

New York’s Equal Rights Amendment would enshrine the right to abortion in the state. A judge threw it off the ballot for the fall, but an appeal is expected.

May 7, 2024
Workers set up barriers on a street in New York City.
Last-Minute Budget Change Could Weaken Workers’ Claims to Weekly Pay

Low-wage manual laborers can sue to make their bosses pay them weekly. Hochul’s late-breaking budget addition may undermine that right.

April 18, 2024
Charged With Regulating Conflict of Interests, Ethics Commission Hid Its Own

New York’s transparency watchdog found that the ethics commission violated open records law by redacting its own recusal forms.

April 17, 2024
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York stands behind a podium with a Buffalo Bills logo and her arms spread wide.
Politicians’ Rush for Bills Box Meets Little Ethics Defense

Guidelines limiting gifts of taxpayer resources have “no teeth whatsoever,” according to good government watchdog.

April 4, 2024
A blue car suspended on a post against a blue sky with a sign below reading "PATRIOT AUTO SALES: LETS DEAL TODAY"
Looming Change to Repair Costs Drives Auto Industry Fight

As the state legislature considers a bill to change warranty payments, unions join their bosses to make car companies pay more.

March 29, 2024
New York State Assembly speaker Carl Heastie stands in front of a tile wall with TV microphones.
Lobbyist Dating Carl Heastie Cleared to Return to Assembly — and Ethics Attorney Quits

As the relationship was coming to light, Heastie returned $5,000 in campaign cash to a labor group from which he’d recused himself.

March 26, 2024
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