Getting Ugly Up There In Albany

From Ken Lovett at the Daily News:

ALBANY - Playing hardball in their fight with Gov. Cuomo, state Senate Republicans introduced an ethics reform bill that would require his celebrity chef girlfriend to disclose her financial information.

The bill, quietly introduced Thursday night by the Senate Rules Committee, does not have a named sponsor. It would expand an existing law requiring public officials’ spouses to reveal their financial information to also cover any person an official resides with and unemancipated children.

Cuomo has lived for years with celebrity chef Sandra Lee.

Since taking office in 2011, he has created a host of different task forces whose members would now be forced to reveal their finances.

Cuomo's response?

Here's one on the record:

"We're happy to review any ethics proposal with the bill's sponsor - whoever that may be," Cuomo spokeswoman Melissa DeRosa said Friday.

Here's one off the record:

An administration official was even more caustic, calling the bill “an interesting concept.’

“If the bill's anomoyous sponsor ever comes forward, we may suggest expanding it to include all girlfriends, even those of married members,” the official said.

Not much to say about this exchange other than - wow.

Albany's cold and snowy this time year, but it also appears to be burning with fear, loathing and hostility.