The Offices of the New York Inspector General act as an internal watchdog for state government, and the person in charge of those offices is New York Inspector General Lucy Lang.
Lang leads three offices :
- The Office of the New York Inspector General, which is responsible for investigating complaints of corruption, fraud, criminal activity, conflicts of interest, and abuse in New York State government, its employees, and those who work with the state
- The Office of the New York State Welfare Inspector General, which is responsible for maintaining the integrity of New York State’s public assistance programs
- The Office of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Fraud Inspector General, which is responsible for investigating violations of the laws and regulations pertaining to the operation of the workers’ compensation system.
WBFO reporter Holly Kirkpatrick sat down with Lang to find out more about her role and what you should do if you suspect fraud or corruption within New York’s government agencies. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
WBFO: Inspector General Lucy Lang Welcome to WBFO.
Lang: Thank you I'm thrilled to be here and love to be in Buffalo.
WBFO: So you've been the Inspector General for New York State since October 2021. And it's not an elected position, but you are in fact appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul. And according to your office, what you do is, you're "employed by the government to investigate fraud, abuse, waste, or corruption within a government agency - an internal watchdog." So what does that all entail?
Lang: I have the great honor of overseeing teams of investigators, lawyers, and auditors who are charged with ferreting out fraud and abuse in the state executive agencies. I also serve as the Welfare Inspector General, so overseeing the integrity of the welfare system, and as Workers Compensation Fraud Inspector General. So making sure that those resources are reserved for workers who really need and are entitled to them.
WBFO: So it's not just one job.
Lang: It's a whole slew of wonderful jobs.
WBFO: So if somebody suspects fraud, or abuse, how do they make a complaint to your office?
Lang: I encourage all New Yorkers who suspect fraud in state government to report it to 1-800-DO-RIGHT. And through our hotline through our social media at New York State IG, through our trainings and on the ground relationships, we receive upwards of six thousand complaints a year from New Yorkers who are concerned about the integrity of government. Every one of those complaints gets thoroughly investigated. And where there is indicia of fraud or abuse, we open a complete investigation. And that can include investigating on the ground with witnesses and conducting interviews, it can include conducting surveillance, it can include doing more of a paper based analysis - so we really tailor our investigations to the nature of the allegations.
WBFO: Can you detail some of the cases that you've successfully investigated?
Lang: Sure, a recent local complaint here came out of a person who was getting SNAP benefits, so benefits through the welfare system. And it turned out that this person was getting them in the names of his two children of whom he didn't have custody, and that he got thousands and thousands of dollars worth of welfare benefits that he wasn't entitled to. So we received a complaint, we conducted the investigation, he was ultimately prosecuted, and the resolution included full restitution to the state, because welfare is such a critical part of so many New Yorkers lives. And the only way that we can make sure it goes to people who truly deserve it is to make sure that folks who don't are held accountable.
WBFO: So speaking of integrity, you're employed by the government to watch the government. So what measures are in place to ensure integrity?
Lang: One measure is that I can't be fired by the governor. So although I was appointed by this governor, I served for the duration of the governor's term. So that's one protection. Another is that we made the decision when I accepted the job that I wouldn't sit as a member of the cabinet. So although I have pleasant working relationships with many of the commissioners we investigate and oversee, I am not in weekly regular meetings with them, we don't have meaningful social relationships. And that gives us the distance to be able to conduct the investigations that we need to conduct
WBFO: Are you popular?
Lang: [laughs] When I was first offered the job, someone said to me, are you prepared to be the least popular person in state government? And I said yes to that. But I'll say that I have really taken the approach that while I'm not here to be popular, I do think that there is a lot to be said, in all criminal investigations or investigations of any kind, to being civil. And so we do work hard to do prevention wherever we can. And that's why we have built out so much of our training capacity, so that we are making sure that folks know what their ethical obligation is to report things to us and we can nip in the bud fraud before it occurs.
WBFO: And you mentioned not holding a role in cabinet. Was that something that your predecessors did?
Lang: Yes.
WBFO: Okay, so that's a change under your watch?
Lang: That's right.
WBFO: Let's have a quick little brief resume rundown. You've got a really long resume, so I had to whittle it down. Before taking this position you were director for the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution, which is a criminal justice reform organization. And you also served as Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, where you investigated violent crimes, including homicides and domestic abuse. And in 2021, you actually ran for election in the Democratic Primary for Manhattan DA, which the now Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg ended up winning. But in that race for Manhattan DA, with your background in criminal justice reform, I think it's fair to say that you were broadly known as quite a progressive candidate. So have you found that reputation - has it helped or hindered your transition to this role?
Lang: I think that inspectors general have the capacity to really compel progress forward. And I have undertaken many of the same values that I held close as a prosecutor in this role. And that includes this core value of equity, of working with vulnerable populations of making sure that systems are effective and transparent to the public. So I would say that it has been more a question of bringing the values to bear that I have relied on throughout my career and indeed, throughout my life.
WBFO: And just out of interest - I actually don't know the answer to this question - are there term limits for your role?
Lang: There are not.
WBFO: What do you think of that? Should there be?
Lang: That's an interesting question. I think that generally speaking there is, there has tended to be turnover with state inspectors general here and elsewhere when there's an administration turnover. I think that it's like so many things - it takes some amount of time to learn a job. But as a general matter, I think term limits are a good thing in many areas of government.
WBFO: New York Inspector General Lucy Lang, thank you very much for joining me in the studio today.
Lang: Thank you.
To find out more or to make a complaint, call 1-800-DO-RIGHT or visit the Offices of the New York Inspector General's website.
