Few clues of the nature of ‘ongoing’ probe that brought agents to Adirondack Park Agency’s headquarters
By Gwendolyn Craig
The New York Inspector General’s Office confirmed its “ongoing investigation” involving the Adirondack Park Agency more than a month after dispatching investigators to the agency’s headquarters.
The investigative unit, in a March 27 email, confirmed a probe but didn’t provide a clear reason. It sent multiple investigators to the APA’s Ray Brook headquarters during the week of Feb. 19 and conducted interviews with staff, officials previously told the Explorer.
The Explorer filed two records requests with the office for communications involving the APA and for investigative records related to the February visit, including any conclusions.
The request was partially denied on March 27 because the matter “is the subject of an ongoing investigation by this office,” records officers said. They identified and attached “several records which are in the public domain and the release of which will not interfere with the . . . investigation.”
What the Inspector General records reveal
The 12 pages provided included an APA press release dated Jan. 19, 2023, announcing the appointment of David Plante as the agency’s deputy director for regulatory programs, a screenshot of the agency’s executive team and the agency’s web home page.
It attached two articles by the Adirondack Explorer. One, dated Aug. 17, was about the resignation of the APA’s former counsel Chris Cooper, which included updates on two environmental groups’ lawsuits over a variance the APA issued to LS Marina on Lower Saranac Lake.
The second article was the Explorer’s Feb. 26 coverage of the Inspector General’s Office’s visit to the agency.
The Explorer reached out to the Inspector General’s Office to clarify if other publicly available records relevant to the investigation were withheld. The office did not immediately respond.
The Explorer asked the APA for comment and requested an interview with Plante. APA Communications Director Keith McKeever said the APA cannot comment on any matters that are conducted confidentially.
The Inspector General received a letter concerning the APA and “corruption” in September, according to state data.
The IG’s Office cited multiple exemptions for not disclosing additional records. Including that they may be “compiled for law enforcement purposes and which if disclosed would interfere with law enforcement investigation; deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or impartial adjudication; identify a confidential source or disclose confidential information relating to a criminal investigation; or reveal criminal investigative techniques or procedures, except routine techniques and procedures.”
The Inspector General is responsible for investigating “complaints concerning allegations of corruption, fraud, criminal activity, conflicts of interest or abuse” in all state agencies and departments, according to its website. “The Inspector General provides procurement and contract management monitoring, and investigates allegations of fraud and abuse.”
Top photo: The sign outside the Adirondack Park Agency headquarters in Ray Brook. Photo by Gwendolyn Craig
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