New York’s ethics watchdog group, the Commission of Ethics and Lobbying in Government, now has new leaders, the panel announced Wednesday.

Leonard B. Austin has been named chair of the commission. Austin, a former appellate division justice, has served as the commission’s vice chair since it was created in 2022. Meanwhile, panel member Ava Ayers has been named the new vice chair.

Frederick Davie, who chaired the commission for two years, stepped down at a recent meeting.

Two of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s nominees to the commission — James Caras and Michael A. Cardozo — were also approved by the Independent Review Committee of law deans, with Cardozo’s nomination for a full four-year term approved.

“My fellow commissioners and I have been incredibly fortunate to have Fred Davie’s leadership, and I hope to proceed with the same wisdom, experience, and gravitas,” Austin said in a statement. “We welcome Commissioner Caras to the Commission and are delighted Commissioner Cardozo will serve another four years. As we move forward in fulfilling our mission, their breadth of experience, vigor, and expertise will prove invaluable in holding those who serve our government, and those who seek to influence it, to the highest ethical standards.”

Austin nominated Ayers for the vice chair position, who then was unanimously elected.

Austin and Ayers’ leadership terms will run through March 2025.

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government was created by Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders to regulate lobbyists as well as investigate ethics allegations against state-level public officials, replacing the widely criticized Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE).

However, the commission faces legal questions of its legitimacy after a state appeals court ruled in May that the commission is unconstitutional in that it violates the principles of separation of powers. The panel is seeking a review of the decision by the Court of Appeals.