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(A garbage can outside a parole office where parolees have discarded their voter registration forms after being given to them by parole officers.) (Photo provide by Assemblyman Hawley)<\/p>\n
Press release<\/p>\n
According to information obtained by Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia), Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci of New York State Corrections and Community Supervision, a department under Gov. Cuomo, has issued a memo directing all department parole officers to begin presenting newly pardoned felons with voter registration forms, help them complete the process of registering to vote and help them locate the local Board of Elections during the course of their taxpayer-funded duties.<\/p>\n
In a memo obtained by Hawley that was circulated to department heads, it states \u201c\u2026the Parole Officer must also provide the recipient (of the pardon certificate) with the NYS Voter Registration Form and the NYS Voting Rights form\u2026The Parole Officer must be prepared to assist the parolee with filling out the registration form and the Parole Officer is responsible for providing information regarding the location of the local Board of Elections.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the most outlandish abuse of power and taxpayer-funded resources I\u2019ve witnessed in my time as a legislator,\u201d Hawley said. \u201cGov. Cuomo is using state employees as campaign workers to register recently paroled felons to vote. Absolutely outrageous.\u201d<\/p>\n
The memo dictates detailed instructions for corrections employees on how to execute pardons and help parolees register to vote and does not specify that this be done outside the purview of their official, taxpayer-funded duties.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis governor continues to use our money as his money and there seems to be no bound to how autocratic his tenure has become,\u201d Hawley continued. \u201cIt\u2019s very possible that there is added pressure on Parole Officers to hit some sort of \u2018quota\u2019 on registrations ahead of the governor\u2019s upcoming gubernatorial primary.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
(A garbage can outside a parole office where parolees have discarded their voter registration forms after being given to them by parole officers.) (Photo provide by Assemblyman Hawley) Press release According to information obtained by Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia), Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci of New York State Corrections and Community \u2026<\/p>\n