New York State

DiNapoli: NY Pension Fund Reaches Climate Agreements With Five Portfolio Companies

The New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) reached climate-related agreements with five portfolio companies during the 2024 proxy season and added $2 billion to the MSCI World ex-USA Climate Change Index strategy, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today, along with releasing the fourth annual Climate Action Plan Progress Report.

The Concerning Growth of Hate Crime in New York State

New York State has seen a surge in hate crimes over the last five years with 1,089 reported instances in 2023, marking the highest number since data collection and annual reporting were mandated by New York’s Hates Crimes Act of 2000. As the number of hate crimes has grown, these crimes are increasingly targeting people rather than property, with most attacks against Jewish, Black and Gay Male New Yorkers.

DiNapoli: State Pension Fund Valued at $267.7 Billion at End of First Quarter

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that the estimated value of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) was $267.7 billion at the end of the first quarter of state fiscal year 2024-25. For the three-month period ending June 30, 2024, Fund investments returned an estimated 1.38%.

DiNapoli Audit: ESD Needs To Increase Transparency of Its Real Estate Holdings and Sales of Properties Below Fair Market Value

The State’s Empire State Development agency (ESD) has not been meeting statutory requirements to provide accurate, annual reports of its real estate holdings, and has sold several for as little as $1 with insufficient information about the economic benefits of the transfer compared to the fair market value of the property, a new audit from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found.

2024 Annual Financial Report of the New York Environmental Protection and Spill Compensation Fund, August 2024

As required by Section 196 of the Navigation Law, the Comptroller prepares an annual report to the State Legislature and the Governor. The report includes: a description of the costs and damages paid by and recovered for the Fund; the monies spent pursuant to Section 186 (including amounts spent for oil spill prevention, training activities and equipment purchased), and the economic and environmental impacts on the State.

State Contract and Payment Actions in June

In June, the Office of the State Comptroller approved 1,909 contracts for state agencies and public authorities valued at $7.3 billion and approved more than 1.8 million payments worth more than $14.1 billion. The office rejected 262 contracts and related transactions valued at $5.5 billion and nearly 3,100 payments valued at more than $7.2 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.

State Comptroller DiNapoli Details Progress on Corporate Political Spending Disclosure

During the 2024 proxy season, three portfolio companies agreed to publicly disclose their political spending while proposals at three other companies won significant support from shareholders, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund), announced today. DiNapoli also announced that he called on 16 companies, including Tesla Inc., Domino’s Pizza Inc., and Garmin Ltd., requesting similar comprehensive disclosure of political spending.

DiNapoli, Erie Co. Da Keane and Erie Co. Sheriff Garcia: Former Erie County Deputy Clerk Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $320,000

Former Deputy Erie County Clerk Alexander McDougall today pleaded guilty to felony counts of grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing for stealing over $320,000 in county funds, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane, and Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia announced.