A century of Moreland

Bruce W. Dearstyne, Commentary

The controversy about Gov. Andrew Cuomo's influence over the Moreland Commission on Public Corruption is a reminder that Moreland Commissions can have unintended consequences for governors.

The Moreland Act was passed in 1907 under progressive governor Charles Evans Hughes. In that era, some department heads appointed by one governor had terms that stretched into the next governor's term and could not be removed without Senate approval. Hughes documented the lackadaisical administration of Superintendent of Insurance Otto Kelsey, a holdover from the previous administration, early in 1907 and asked Senate approval to remove him. The Senate, dominated by old guard members of Hughes' own Republican Party, refused.
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