State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara, and the New York State Police today announced the arrest of the long-time superintendent of the Utica City School District (UCSD) Bruce Karam and the former Utica Mayor and UCSD School Board President Louis LaPolla for allegedly using taxpayer funds to pay for political campaigns and a non-school related fundraiser.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that the estimated value of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) was $246.3 billion at the end of the second quarter of State Fiscal Year 2023-24. For the three-month period ending Sept. 30, 2023, Fund investments returned an estimated -1.59%.

A 50-year-old Georgia woman, Sandra Smith, was sentenced to over a year in federal prison and ordered to pay full restitution after admitting she stole $459,050 in New York state pension and federal social security payments from her deceased mother-in-law’s bank account, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Ryan K. Buchanan, and Inspector General for the Social Security Administration Gail S. Ennis announced today.

amNewYork on Saturday published an op-ed from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

The full op-ed is below:

New York needs to boost financial education in our schools

Young people in New York have a great knowledge of many subjects, but they have much to learn about personal finance.

In September, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,803 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $3.4 billion and approved more than 2.1 million payments worth nearly $15 billion. The office rejected 150 contracts and related transactions valued at $311 million and nearly 3,100 payments valued at more than $13 million, primarily for mistakes, insufficient support for charges, and improper payments. More information on these contracts and payments is available at Open Book New York.

New York state made substantial progress in reducing homelessness for veterans between 2010 and 2022 with the number of homeless veterans declining 83% (from 5,857 to 990), the largest percentage decline in the nation, according to an analysis by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The share of homeless adults that are veterans was reduced from 9% in 2010 to just 1% in 2022.

The New York State Common Retirement Fund has committed $50 million to a private equity fund managed by Hamilton Lane aimed at supporting small businesses across New York, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, trustee of the Fund, announced today.

Some addiction treatment programs may not be adequately prepared in an emergency to prevent gaps in care, which could compromise patient progress or safety, according to a new audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued the following statement regarding antisemitism and New York's response:

"The antisemitic threats and incidents we’ve seen on college campuses, on city streets, and online have no place in our society. Antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate directed at any community must be denounced in all their forms. We cannot and will not tolerate intimidation in any community or at any institution.