After confronting Tom DiNapoli over campaign donations from law firms seeking pension fund business during the October 1 Spectrum News debate, Republican State Comptroller candidate Joseph Hernandez today released a five-part review of state campaign finance filings tracing the money flowing into the campaigns of Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli through September 28, 2026. The review period begins in 2023 for James and DiNapoli and in 2025 for Hochul.
The review identified 506 donors shared by Hochul and DiNapoli, more than $170,000 from lobbying firms to the three Democrats, and 17 donors whose contributions appear to exceed state limits.
DiNapoli received $143,360 since 2023 from law firms competing for business from the $300 billion-plus pension fund he controls, including $63,000 from one firm alone. Nearly half of his $3.86 million in campaign contributions came from PACs, unions, and LLCs.
Hochul received $131,000 from Medicaid companies and nursing homes and $60,000 from transit contractors between January 2025 and September 2026, along with $10,500 from an opioid manufacturer since 2023. Eight donors appear to have exceeded contribution limits.
James received 54% of her approximately $10 million in itemized contributions from outside New York since 2023. Her campaign also claimed taxpayer matching funds for 528 donations without a New York address, while nine donors appear to have exceeded contribution limits.
Lobbying and government-relations firms contributed $85,872 to Hochul since 2025, and $46,825 to DiNapoli and $38,715 to James since 2023. Hernandez’s campaign reported no contributions from the lobbying firms identified in the review.
"Tom DiNapoli couldn't answer my question on the debate stage, so I found the answer in his own filings," said Hernandez. "The Governor awards the contracts. The Comptroller signs off on them. The Attorney General is supposed to hold people accountable. And the same checkbooks fund all three. That's not checks and balances. That's Albany's pay-to-play club."
Hernandez included his own campaign in the review, finding that 99% of contributions since the primary came from individuals, with a median donation of $50.
"Every tax dollar is sacred. New Yorkers need a watchdog, not another rubber stamp for Albany's insiders," Hernandez added. "As Comptroller, I'll follow the money, expose the waste, fraud, and abuse, and hold the people responsible accountable."
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