TESTIMONY
Milton Williams, Nominee for the Conflicts of Interest Board, on Upholding Integrity and Public Trust in NYC Government
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3 min
Milton Williams testifies about his commitment to maintaining integrity and public trust in New York City through his work with the Conflicts of Interest Board.
- Williams details his New York City upbringing and legal career, highlighting his dedication to public service.
- He describes the Conflicts of Interest Board's main responsibilities: Training, advice, annual disclosure, and enforcement.
- Emphasizes the significance of the board in preserving public trust by ensuring compliance with conflict of interest laws among city employees.
- Reflects on the achievements of the board during his tenure as chair and expresses a desire to be reappointed for a full term to continue its mission.
Milton Williams
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Last for the last year and 5 months, it has been my privilege to serve as the chair.
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I am a product of New York City.
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I grew up in 4 of the five pearls.
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I was born and lived over by Half High School And College Avenue, then moved to Queens, Rockdale Village, and then for for a while, and then came back to the Bronx where I lived most of the time when we came back.
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Right by the courthouse, Walton Avenue, Grand Concourse Area, Joyce Kummer Park with the old Yankee standing device.
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And then move to idly enough to stop shore of Staten Island and lived in Arden Heights, and then went to high school and Staten Island and graduated from my senior federal high So I've been all over the place to I'm very familiar with with the city and the different constituencies.
0:14:47
The idea that public service is a public trust has guided my professional career.
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I've served as assistant US attorney in the US attorney's office for the Southern Strict of New York, where I had the privilege of working with Amy Mallard and actually worked a couple of cases together.
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As an assist I'd also worked as an assist district attorney and the Manhattan district attorney's office as cochair of the Morland Commission to investigate public corruption as a member of the Carlos Review Board of Alabama of allegations of improper relations between clergy and minors.
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And as a member of various attorney grievance committees, both at the federal and and the state level.
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I have consistently worked to ensure that people with authority in our society act with integrity and serving as the cheer of the conflicts of interest board has afforded me a u a unique opportunity to continue to do so.
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The conflict of interest board is a tiny city agency that serves a big purpose protecting the public's trust and government.
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That public trust is the lifeblood of everything our city does because government depends on the hard earned faith that public servants at every level of government are doing their work in the interest of the city and its residents rather than their own private interest.
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No group of public servants are are more devoted to serving this mission than my hardworking fellow board members.
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And the agency's dedicated staff.
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Under the city charter, the board is charged with 4 main responsibilities.
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Training, advice, annual disclosure, and enforcement.
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These responsibilities reflect both the organizational structure of our office and the pillars of our endeavor to keep conflicts of interest out of city government by teaching public servants about conflicts of interest law, giving practical legal guidance about complying with the conflicts of excess board, providing transparency about the financial holdings, of high level public servants and enforcing the law fairly and equitably when it has been violated.
0:17:00
I believe the conflicts of interest board has continued to successfully accomplished these 4 main and important responsibilities during my relatively brief time as chair.
0:17:11
I very much hope to be firm for a full 6 year term so that I can continue to serve the mission of the critical critical conflicts of interest board and the city that I love.
Keith Powers
0:17:22
Thank you.
