“Governor Kathy Hochul must NOT use a single taxpayer dollar to fund the defense of private citizen Letitia James, who was indicted yesterday on federal charges of bank fraud and making false claims. Even though the Governor recently gave herself the authority to do it, this would be an unconstitutional and egregious misuse of public funds. Article 7 of the State Constitution is clear: ‘No money shall ever be paid out of the state treasury or any of its funds, or any of the funds under its management, except in pursuance of an appropriation by law.’ It’s time to hold Governor Hochul accountable to this standard.
New York taxpayers are now facing the consequences of a disgraceful scheme crafted in secret and jammed through the budget process by Governor Hochul in the final hours before the budget passed. This provision was never mentioned in the Governor’s original budget proposal, never discussed in public hearings, and never reflected in the one-house budget resolutions. Yet, like clockwork, it was tucked away in Section 702 of the state’s budget bill and now serves as a private attorney slush fund for political allies. This is an insult to every hardworking taxpayer in this state.
Is this Governor Hochul’s spending priority? How high are your electric bills? How much of your paycheck is going toward putting food on the table? While you bust your backs working to pay your taxes, Governor Hochul is stacking your hard-earned money to fund the legal defense of a politician entangled in a federal investigation of a private matter. This isn’t merely reckless—it is downright corruption.
I’m calling on the State Comptroller, legislators from both sides of the aisle, and every concerned citizen to oppose the use of taxpayer dollars for the legal defense of private citizens who happen to be political allies of the Governor. It’s wrong, it’s unconstitutional, and we all know it.”