DiNapoli Op-Ed in the NY Daily News Explains His Audit of the Former Governor's COVID Performance
The New York Daily News published an op-ed from New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today. The full op-ed is below:
New York State
DiNapoli: State's Pandemic Response to Nursing Homes Hindered by Ill-Prepared State Agency
The state Department of Health (DOH) was unprepared to respond to infectious disease outbreaks at nursing homes, even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York, an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found. DiNapoli said that a persistent lack of funding for public health over the last decade forced DOH to operate without critical information systems and staff that could have identified and helped limit the spread of COVID-19 at nursing homes.
DiNapoli: Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Receiving Deceased Mother's New York State and Local Retirement System Benefits
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli joined the United States Attorney for Eastern District of Tennessee (EDTN) in announcing that Leslie Schwinzer has pleaded guilty to wire fraud (18 USC. § 1343) in the U.S. District Court at Knoxville, TN for stealing $56,352 from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS). This case was the result of a joint investigation with the Social Security Administration Inspector General’s Office (SSAIG), the EDTN and the Comptroller’s Office.
State Contracts by the Numbers, Calendar Year 2020
The Office of the State Comptroller received 16,356 contract transactions, including both new contracts and contract amendments, valued at $235 billion in the calendar year 2020. The average time from agency contract submission to final sign-off was 5.8 days.
State Comptroller DiNapoli Releases Audits
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today the following audits have been issued.
New York’s Balance of Payments in the Federal Budget - Federal Fiscal Year 2020
Historic relief funds from the federal government, provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, boosted New York’s per capita balance of payments from Washington from second-to-last in federal fiscal year 2019 to 40th in 2020. During this period, New York received $1.59 for every tax dollar paid to Washington, an increase from 91 cents from the prior year, but still below the national average of $1.92.
State Comptroller DiNapoli Releases Audits
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced the following audits were issued.
Town of Hempstead – Budgeting (Nassau County)
The board did not adopt realistic and appropriate budgets, and the town’s preliminary budgets for 2017-2020 fiscal years did not include the fund balance estimates required by Town Law.
Federal Relief Aid Temporarily Reverses Trend of NY Sending More to Washington Than It Gets Back
Historic relief funds from the federal government, provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, boosted New York’s per capita balance of payments from Washington from second-to-last in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2019 to 40th in FFY 2020 among states, according to a report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. New York received $146 billion, or $7,236 per capita, more in federal spending than residents paid in total taxes to the federal government in FFY 2020.
NYS Comptroller DiNapoli Prohibits New Russian Investments and Directs Investment Review
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli has directed staff to prohibit all new investments in Russian companies and to review the New York State Common Retirement Fund’s (Fund) current investments and assess whether they present financial risks that warrant further restrictions or divestment. He is also reaching out to the Fund’s investment managers to urge them to conduct a similar examination to mitigate investment risk and minimize market impact.
State Contract and Payment Actions in January
In January, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,323 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $3.3 billion and nearly 1.9 million payments worth nearly $11 billion. The office rejected 69 contracts and related transactions valued at $109.5 million and more than 3,400 payments valued at nearly $7.6 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.