ALBANY — Forty years ago, former Gov. Mario Cuomo signed an executive order that created the state Office of the Inspector General. Now, amid a celebration of the anniversary of the office’s creation, the state’s current inspector general is also warning of ongoing attempts to erode the independence of her federal counterparts.
On Wednesday, state Inspector General Lucy Lang hosted an event at the State Museum in Albany titled “Illustrious Strangers at 250: Inspectors General and the American Democratic Tradition,” in commemoration of 40 years of her office’s existence.
The event highlighted New York’s role in the history of ensuring public integrity in the United States. Artifacts displayed at the event included items belonging to Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the German-born American revolutionary and later New York resident who was appointed inspector general of the Continental Army by George Washington. Lang’s father, the actor Stephen Lang, read historical texts underscoring the American tradition of accountability and public service…