With just a handful of days left in Albany's legislative session it's Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie who is now under increasing levels of scrutiny. State house reporter Zack Fink has the story.
In the last year and a half the leaders of both houses of the state legislature were put in handcuffs and convicted of federal corruption.
Now, it's Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie who is being investigated by federal prosecutors.
"When I took in the task of becoming Speaker I knew that anything that I've done or anything that I will do will be scrutinized and I accept that," Heastie said. "I'm very comfortable to say I am not concerned about one transaction that occurred in my time as county chair."
Prior to becoming Assembly Speaker, Heastie was the chair of the Bronx County Democratic Organization. At issue is whether Heastie reimbursed himself for inappropriate expenses with taxpayer money.
Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benedetto was recently subpoenaed for documents, which came to light in a Daily News report on Thursday. When reached later in the day, Benedetto declined to comment, calling the story "old news."
Speaker Heastie is also facing scrutiny on another front. New emails obtained by the news organization Politico show that the Cuomo administration ignored federal warnings about water contamination in the small upstate town of Hoosick Falls.
NY1 reported earlier this year that state officials were slow to respond to the crisis.
Speaker Heastie had called for oversight hearings, but that was quietly dropped after legislative leaders hammered out a budget agreement.
"For this legislature, both the Senate and the Assembly, to refuse to hold hearings, if they continue that posture they are co-conspirators in this crime," said Troy Republican Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin.
Heastie says the newly disclosed emails haven't changed his position…and he continues to leave the door open to hearings.
"I still think the main thing is to make sure that the people in Hoosick Falls and around the state are having clean drinking water. And if we still feel the need to look at it through hearings we can do that," Heastie said.
Cuomo's was asked about the story Thursday in Syracuse.
"That's a whole political he said she said," the governor said. "I don't know how the state could have been more aggressive."
There are just seven days left in the legislative session, which means any issues that need to get resolved must get done in the next two weeks. In a year plagued by corruption investigations, it's unclear what kind of deals will be struck.