Hochul's Selling Price is $2.2 Million. Allegedly

After receiving $2.2 million from real estate interests, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul watered down an anti-money laundering bill, ensuring that information about the shadowy corporate landlords that control a wide swath of Manhattan real estate remains inaccessible to the public. These property owners have been associated with money laundering and other financial crimes, and Hochul’s move means tenants and workers abused by the system continue to have limited ways to seek justice.

The LLC Transparency Act, which was designed to crack down on anonymous shell companies operating in New York, required limited liability companies to report their owners’ identifying information to an online database. However, before Hochul signed the bill last December, she amended the language so that only government and law enforcement agencies can access business owners’ names.

Let's be clear about this: I view large campaign contributions as nothing other than legal bribes. Hochul takes in a shitload of money from real estate interests, she's willing to do their bidding. And it's not the first time that she's shown that she's for sale.

I get that she's not as wealthy as Tollbooth Ned in CT (or his perennial challenger, Bob Trumpanoswski) and that anyone who runs for serious office needs to raise money. But it's a another thing entirely to hang out a "for sale" sign and to signal that one will beleive whatever brings in the most cash. Still, she's not alone in that regard in New York State.