ALBANY, NY — Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller Joseph Hernandez today called out what he described as a “pay-to-play culture” in Albany after campaign finance records revealed that State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has received more than $150,000 in contributions over the past 15 years from Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP. This law firm has repeatedly been retained to represent the New York State pension fund in major securities litigation.
Records show the firm contributed $90,000 to DiNapoli by 2016, followed by an additional $35,000 in 2022, $25,000 in 2025 and another $25,000 just last month. Hernandez noted that the firm has played a leading role in high-profile cases on behalf of the pension fund, including litigation tied to McKesson/HBOC that resulted in more than $1 billion in recoveries, generating substantial legal fees in the process.
“This isn’t just a campaign donor, it’s a firm that does lucrative business with the very pension fund the Comptroller oversees,” said Hernandez. “New Yorkers are right to question a system where firms can both collect significant fees from the state and write six-figure checks to the elected official responsible for oversight.”
Hernandez said the arrangement reflects a broader culture in Albany that erodes public trust and raises serious concerns about independence in the management of taxpayer-backed assets.
“Even if everything is technically legal, it’s exactly why people have lost faith in government,” Hernandez continued. “The appearance alone undermines confidence that decisions are being made in the best interest of retirees and taxpayers.”
Hernandez pledged that, as Comptroller, he will implement a clear and uncompromising standard to eliminate any conflicts of interest, stating that firms that contribute to his campaign will not be permitted to do business with the pension fund, and that all engagements tied to the fund will be subject to heightened transparency and independent scrutiny.
He further committed to rooting out corruption on all sides of government, regardless of party, and to using the full authority of the Comptroller’s office to audit campaign finances and public contracts when suspicious activity arises.
“That may be how Albany has operated for decades under DiNapoli, but it’s not how I will operate,” said Hernandez. “The Comptroller must be an independent watchdog and not part of the problem. New Yorkers deserve a Comptroller’s office that is transparent, accountable, and puts the public first.”