ALBANY, NY — Joseph Hernandez, Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, released the following statement today regarding his intent to file a lawsuit against Governor Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders if proposed budget language weakening the Comptroller’s constitutional oversight authority is enacted:
“Today I am making clear that I am prepared to file a lawsuit against Governor Hochul and legislative leaders the moment they attempt to weaken the constitutional oversight powers of the New York State Comptroller.
Their proposal to raise the Comptroller’s pre-audit threshold from approximately $50,000 to $300,000 would remove billions of dollars in taxpayer spending from independent review. That is not a technical change. It is a deliberate effort to eliminate oversight, reduce accountability, and open the door to fraud, waste, and abuse on a massive scale.
The New York State Constitution is explicit: the Comptroller is required to audit all vouchers before payment to protect taxpayers from unchecked government spending. No political party can carve out billions in state contracts and simply declare them exempt from scrutiny.
We have seen what happens when oversight is weakened and I believe the current $50,000 threshold may not be constitutional either. New York taxpayers paid the price in past corruption scandals, which is why bipartisan action was taken in 2022 to restore the Comptroller’s full pre-audit authority. Now, Albany politicians are trying to reverse that progress behind closed doors.
If Governor Hochul signs her Executive Budget that includes this unconstitutional provision, I will file suit immediately. I will challenge it in court and defend our State Constitution for all New Yorkers.
This is a defining moment. New Yorkers deserve transparency, accountability, and a real fiscal watchdog. I will not stand by while politicians dismantle the very safeguards designed to protect taxpayer dollars.”