New York Attorney General Letitia James has allegedly directed over $54 million in taxpayer-funded grants to six legal organizations described by her Republican opponent as "criminal-friendly" and working to "dismantle public safety." The accusation comes from Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor who is running to unseat the Democratic AG.
According to an analysis by Komatireddy's campaign, nearly a quarter of the $226 million in grants disbursed by the attorney general's office since James took office in January 2019 have gone to groups that oppose police or are considered "criminal-friendly." These funds were primarily allocated through the Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP), a program established in 2012 by James' predecessor, Eric Schneiderman, to assist New Yorkers facing foreclosure.
The New York Post reported that the state's Attorney General has sole discretion over the allocation of millions of dollars in annual outlays, which are funded through the state budget. Komatireddy stated that the Attorney General, as the state's chief law enforcement officer, should be a partner to law enforcement, not someone "colluding with the criminals."
The controversial $54 million in grants, as detailed by Komatireddy's report, were distributed among several organizations: Mobilization For Justice received $3,350,116, and has publicly called to "Defund the NYPD." The Legal Aid Society, James' former employer, received $6,495,936 and advocates for making pretrial detention obsolete and working toward "a collective future without jails." The New York Legal Assistance Group was awarded $6,971,387 and reportedly fights to bar police from interacting with the homeless. The Empire Justice Center received $8,192,613 and has campaigned to ban police from making traffic stops for violations. Legal Services NYC and its affiliates received $20,905,619 and are campaigning to remove police from New York City public schools. Finally, the Western New York Law Center was given $8,238,213 and is currently suing the Buffalo Police Department.
Komatireddy also accused James of diverting funds intended for affordable housing to these anti-police groups, asserting that many of these organizations spend more on criminal defense and immigrant advocacy than on homeowner or tenant protection. "Every dollar coming out of the Attorney General’s office should go towards protecting innocent New Yorkers, supporting victims of crime, and making New York safer – not towards efforts to defund the police, enable the revolving door of repeat offenders, and eliminate jails," Komatireddy said.
A representative for James' campaign defended the funding, calling Komatireddy's accusations a "political stunt" and a "smear." The campaign stated that the HOPP program has helped tens of thousands of New Yorkers remain in their homes by funding free legal services and housing counselors. "Komatireddy is cherry-picking figures to smear a program that stops deed theft, foreclosure scams, and predatory lenders from taking working families’ homes out from under them," the campaign representative told The Post.