A.M. Roundup: Teachout calls JCOPE ‘toothless lapdog’ for clearing ex-Cuomo aide

Good morning. The world anxiously awaited the meeting of President Donald Trump and North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un, but the sit-down might not produce “fire and fury” after all. (AP)

Trump and Kim reportedly signed a document which guarantees “security guarantees” to the North and “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” The question is, when is Dennis Rodman going to get his due? (DN)

Here’s your roundup:

Democratic attorney general candidate Zephyr Teachout called JCOPE, the state’s ethics watchdog, a “toothless lapdog” after it claimed to find no evidence to back accusations of sexual harassment and assault against ex-Cuomo aide Sam Hoyt. (DN/AP)

Acting state Supreme Court Justice Jonathan D. Nichols threw out a criminal indictment against Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel E. Abelove, who was accused of lying to a grand jury and mishandling the investigation of the fatal police shooting of an unarmed DWI suspect. (TU)

The New York City Housing Authority put tenants in danger by failing to ensure safe housing and lying about it, federal prosecutors are charging in a complaint released Monday. The report concludes a two-year investigation into the authority, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s commitment to pay $1 billion over four years to fix the horrendous conditions. (Politico)

By making the commitment and signing a 29-page consent decree, De Blasio will avoid a trial to defend safety hazards and cover-ups that occurred on his watch at the NYCHA. (Politico)

City Councilman Ritchie Torres lamented the city accepting a federal monitor into NYCHA’s management. (C&S)

The tragic death of his brother caused Bryan Flynn to walk the halls of Congress as an activist. Decades later, Flynn is one of the seven Democrats looking to challenge Republican Rep. John Faso. (TU)

Pat Ryan – a Congressional candidate vowing to crack down on companies like Google and Facebook that collect and profit from people’s online data – is one of the Democratic hopefuls Flynn will have to defeat in the primary before challenging Faso. (TU)

The state Legislature is thinking like Ryan – it’s advancing a bill that would prohibit consumer-credit agencies from charging a fee for initiating a credit security freeze. (TU)

Gareth Rhodes, who’s also looking to unseat Faso, took a different approach to his campaign. Rhodes completed his trip to all 163 towns in the 19th Congressional District. (TU)

Democratic congressional hopeful Tedra Cobb highlighted her family’s struggle to afford health insurance in a new 30-second advertisement. (TU)

Rep. Dan Donovan and former Rep. Michael Grimm engaged in a sparring session over the course of an hour-long debate Monday. (Politico)

The New York State Association for Affordable Housing is warning legislators that a bill expanding the use of prevailing wages could prevent future projects. (TU)

The state Board of Regents is still dealing with the conflict of opt-outs, or parents keeping their children home when federally mandated math and English tests are given. (TU)

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan has picked Sergio Panunzio, a government official from New Jersey, to lead the city’s Department of General Services. (TU)

CapCon’s A.M. Roundup is compiled by Ben Mehic, Ben.Mehic@timesunion.com

Have a state-related news tip for the Times Union’s Capitol Bureau? Please contact Brendan J. Lyons, State Editor, at 518-454-5547 or Blyons@timesunion.com.

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Ben Mehic