A report released today found more than one of every 100 resident personal income tax (PIT) filers left New York state in 2020, according to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant shift in taxpayer movement, with net out-migration quadrupling in 2020 compared to the prior year. While declining in 2021, the net number of taxpayers leaving remained one-third greater than the pre-pandemic average.

A 55-year-old Buffalo woman pleaded guilty to stealing more than $54,715 in state pension payments meant for her deceased grandmother, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced today. The defendant, Bernadette Russell, was convicted of grand larceny.

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund), sent letters to 50 major portfolio companies, including Tesla Inc., Meta Platforms Inc, Microsoft Corp. and NIKE Inc., urging them to join the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Workplace Pledge to Fight Antisemitism. DiNapoli announced his action Saturday night at the Stand With Israel event at the Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach.

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.