In the wake of embezzlement charges against its former leader, Brian McLaughlin, the New York City Central Labor Council has vowed to expand its outreach and tighten its financial accountability.

Ed Ott, named interim executive director of the CLC upon McLaughlin’s indictment, moved quickly last month to begin repairing the damage to the council’s image caused by the charges of embezzlement leveled against McLaughlin.

The CLC executive board members, including Local 237 President Carl Haynes, convened quickly and voted to place McLaughlin on unpaid leave immediately following his indictment. Prior to the indictment, the board had granted him a six-month paid leave of absence beginning Sept. 1 so that he could focus on his legal problems. But after his indictment, they felt that, under the circumstances, unpaid leave was more appropriate without violating the former leader’s due process rights.

“To say that we are all shocked and disappointed to learn about the extent of the charges against Brian is an understatement,” Haynes said.

“I’m extraordinarily upset,” Ed Ott said, describing how he felt when the 43 federal racketeering charges against McLaughlin were released. Ott, who served for many years as the CLC’s political director, said the organization plans to adopt new rules and procedures to tighten financial accountability and provide greater oversight of its leaders. In addition, the organization, which represents over 400 public and private sector labor unions in New York City, will devote more energy to organizing and expanding its outreach to immigrants and other community groups.

“It’s our responsibility to re-earn our credibility,” Ott is quoted as saying in a New York Times article on Oct. 19. “This is a collective responsibility and collective burden. I’ve always been willing to talk about corruption in the labor movement. We have to be held to a higher standard.”