January 30, 2026
Nick Reisman
January 30, 2026
State Inspector General Lucy Lang’s office is marking 40 years since the role was created during Mario Cuomo’s administration — an anniversary that coincides with watchdogs being under fire at the federal level.
“We’ve continued to serve as the public’s eyes inside the executive agencies,” Lang told Playbook.
She’s taken an unusually outward-facing approach with what at times has been a low-profile job in Albany. Yet often there are blockbuster investigations, including probes of gambling interests’ influence on the Legislature or how two convicted murderers were able to escape from a state prison in the North Country. Lang’s office has also performed examinations of the state’s troubled prison system.
But the commemoration of the New York IG’s office — which included a glossy 88-page book on the post’s history and highlights — arrives at a delicate time.
The Trump administration has shown little patience for federal inspectors general, firing government watchdogs at key federal agencies.
“We’re in a real crisis moment for myriad reasons, but one of them is the real risk to inspectors general,” Lang said.
Her office this week held a panel discussion on the role the office can play in investigating waste and fraud, a discussion that included former U.S. Interior Department Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt. He was among IGs fired by the Trump administration last year.
“There’s always a natural tension between agency heads and IGs, but this took it to another level,” Greenblatt said in an interview.
Yet that tug of war is necessary for inspectors general to do their jobs, he added.
“We’re going to be the skunk at the picnic, but that’s our role,” he said. “Hopefully the executive understands that and has confidence in the fairness and objectivity of our work.”