SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro is putting ethics issues at the top of his campaign. During a stop in Syracuse Thursday, Molinaro has a list of proposals he thinks will make for better government in Albany.
He didn’t mince words blaming the Cuomo administration for a spate of political corruption cases rocking the state in recent years.
"I think by any definition, these last seven years have emboldened a culture of corruption that has sadly made New York the most corrupted state government in the country," said Molinaro.
He said said a pay-to-play mentality in particular infects the state’s economic development strategy.
"On day one, I will ask the state legislature to vote to prohibit those who do business with the state of New York to contributing to political campaigns, period," he said. "If you are seeking a contract or doing business with the state, you shouldn't be able to contribute, nor should elected officials in government be able to receive dollars."
Molinaro is also proposing term limits, and establishment of a Moreland Act Commission to root out corruption.
He is among a handful of candidates, including former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, trying to unseat Andrew Cuomo who is running for his third term as governor. All have focused in some way on ethics, after a Cuomo aide was convicted of corruption charges earlier this year, and the federal government now is in the midst of prosecuting an alleged bid rigging scheme involving some of Cuomo’s economic development initiatives.