A Civic Pulse publication
The accountability feed

News

Vetted coverage of Governor Hochul's administration, grouped by day. Every item names its publication and carries a source-credibility tier — Tier 1 primary/wire, Tier 2 established outlet, Tier 3 secondary. No spin; each story links to its original source.

2 items

Aug 19, 2026

1
Governor's OfficeTIER 1High

PEF members ratify five-year contract 88 percent: raises for 60,000 state professionals through April 2031

The Public Employees Federation ratified a five-year agreement with the state on Aug 18, approved by 88 percent of members casting ballots. It covers roughly 60,000 professional, scientific and technical employees (PEF says 62,000), runs through April 1, 2031, and includes raises of 4.5, 4, 3.5, 3 and 3 percent, higher location pay, 20 hours of paid pre-natal leave, a higher sick-leave accrual cap, and health-insurance changes eliminating some co-pays. Third major state contract ratified in three weeks, after UUP on Jul 31 and CSEA on Aug 7.

Aug 7, 2026

1
La Voce di New YorkTIER 2High

Blakeman campaign finance chair's law firm nets $730K in Nassau County contracts signed before legislative approval

The Nassau legislature approved two legal-representation contracts totaling $730,000 for Abrams Fensterman LLP, the firm founded by Howard Fensterman — finance chair of Blakeman's gubernatorial campaign. The contracts were signed in May, months before the legislature formally approved them. Blakeman's campaign received a combined $43,000 from firm-linked donors in the six months before the award. Ethics experts told La Voce the process lacked the transparency needed to dispel favoritism concerns. Fensterman recruited Blakeman to the firm in 2007.