Cuomo watch: Disclosure rules left big gap

As it released its annual report last week, the state's ethics commission enacted more disclosure rules governing lobbyists and money.

For some critics, it was a year too late.

The timing reinforced the fact that one of the biggest decisions the panel has made in its short life was this: Last year, it set an effective date for disclosure rules that allowed the Committee to Save New York, a business-backed ally of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, to avoid divulging who bankrolled its efforts in 2011-12.

The group spent $16.1 million backing the governor's agenda in his first two years -- twice as much as the next biggest spender -- and virtually nothing since the disclosure rules took effect.

-- Yancey Roy