Republican nominee for State Comptroller Joseph Hernandez and New York Republican State Committee Chairman Ed Cox yesterday condemned what they described as a culture of political favoritism, pay-to-play, and failed oversight under Governor Kathy Hochul and Democratic one-party rule in Albany.
The Republican leaders pointed to Hochul's $637 million in no-bid COVID testing contracts involving a major campaign donor, approximately $840,000 in contributions to Comptroller Tom DiNapoli from attorneys at law firms involved in pension-fund litigation, and a bribery scandal involving an official in the Comptroller's Office.
"Albany has become a playground for political insiders while hardworking New Yorkers get stuck with the bill," said Joseph Hernandez, Republican nominee for State Comptroller. "Kathy Hochul hands out massive no-bid contracts, Tom DiNapoli takes hundreds of thousands from lawyers whose firms do business with the pension fund, and a top official in his own office was caught taking bribes. After nearly 20 years, DiNapoli has become Albany's lapdog instead of the taxpayers' watchdog. As Comptroller, I'll follow the money, expose corruption, and put taxpayers first."
The controversies cited include:
$637 Million in No-Bid COVID Contracts from Hochul: Hochul's administration awarded COVID testing contracts to Digital Gadgets, whose CEO and family contributed approximately $300,000 to her campaign. The administration has denied wrongdoing.
$840,000 in Pay-to-Play Allegations Involving DiNapoli: Attorneys at 13 law firms involved in pension-fund litigation contributed approximately $840,000 to DiNapoli's campaigns since 2008. His office denies any improper influence.
Bribery Inside the Comptroller's Office: Former pension-fund official Navnoor Kang was sentenced to 21 months in prison for accepting more than $100,000 in bribes connected to approximately $2 billion in pension-fund trades during DiNapoli's tenure. DiNapoli was not implicated in the scheme.
"One-party Democrat rule has made Albany corrupt to its core," said NYGOP Chairman Ed Cox. "Kathy Hochul and Tom DiNapoli are part of that corruption and have failed New York taxpayers. Joseph Hernandez will bring the independence, financial discipline, and accountability that Albany desperately needs. On November 3rd, New Yorkers can send a message that the days of business as usual are finally over."
Hernandez has pledged to aggressively audit state spending, investigate waste and fraud, and restore independent oversight to the Comptroller's Office.
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