ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Four members of Congress from New York including a Southern Tier Republican are asking the federal Department of Justice to investigate a state agency in charge of protecting people with disabilities from abuse and neglect.
Republican U.S. representatives Lee Zeldin, Peter King, Elise Stefanik and Tom Reed, (R-Corning), made their formal request Monday in a letter sent to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.
The four federal lawmakers cited concerns that the state's Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs doesn't adequately investigate or prosecute allegations of mistreatment.
The Associated Press and other outlets have published articles in recent years revealing instances of abuse and neglect in state institutions for people with disabilities. Stories have highlighted the state's secretive policy of investigating such cases.
State officials insist they take all such allegations seriously.
