The New York State attorney general?s office is investigating Long Island Rail Road employee records under suspicion of fraudulent disability and benefit claims. Subpoenas for the railroad?s data were issued by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, immediately after authority to investigate the issue was established by Governor Paterson. A New York Times report found that nearly every retired L.I.R.R. employee receives federal disability payments, which are approved by the Railroad Retirement Board. Many workers are believed to have also retired early, in a manipulation of work rules, thus benefiting from pension payments, in addition to the disputed disability claims, much sooner than expected. The questionable claims have likely cost the transportation authority and taxpayers millions of dollars.
See "L.I.R.R. Data Subpoenaed by the State", Jeremy W. Peters, The New York Times, September 22, 2008