Cuomo calls excessive MTA overtime 'theft and fraud'
Gov. Andrew Cuomo had harsh words on Sunday for MTA employees accused of padding their paychecks with excessive overtime, calling it "stealing" and "fraud."
The New York Post reported last month that some employees of the Long Island Rail Road claimed they worked thousands of hours in overtime last year. One track worker filed for $250,000 in overtime, quadrupling his base pay, while one measurement operator's salary swelled to more than $460,000.
"This is about stealing. This is about fraud. This is about people saying they work and charging the taxpayers when they didn’t work. It’s stealing. It’s criminal," said Cuomo at a news conference at his midtown office, according to the Post. "So this has nothing to do with overtime. It has to do with theft and fraud, and that’s criminal."
Cuomo asked why MTA management didn't clamp down on the excessive claims. "This is not a new issue for the MTA," he said. "They have been criticized for years on lack of an effective time and attendance system. Why didn’t they change it? Why didn't they fix it? There’s no excuse in my opinion."
Read more: https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/new-york/cuomo-calls-excessive-mta-overtime-theft-and-fraud