WC Prosecutor Elevated to Judge Post

Monday, June 24, 2019 | 0

The official in charge of prosecuting many workers' compensation fraud cases in New York is now a judge on the state Court of Claims.

Catherine Leahy Scott

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Catherine Leahy Scott as one of 10 judges on the Court of Claims, according to a New York Law Journal report. Despite the name, the court does not review workers' comp cases, but does handle tort claims against state agencies.

Scott was the state's inspector general from 2012 to 2019. She developed a reputation for her frequent prosecution of workers who claimed benefits but continued to work, and of employers that failed to obtain comp coverage or underreported payroll.

In February, Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed longtime aide Letizia Tagliaferro as inspector general, and kept Scott as workers' compensation inspector general and welfare fraud inspector general.

Scott received her bachelor's and law degrees from Hofstra University. She also worked as a public defender, chief assistant district attorney in Columbia County, and was an assistant state attorney general.