Albany cronies put Tom in comptrol
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, whose office failed to vet a shady pension director, is a creature of the scandal-scarred New York Legislature.
Democrat DiNapoli’s first term as comptroller in early 2007 wasn’t the result of a general election. The Legislature, with since-convicted Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in power, handpicked then-Long Island Assemblyman DiNapoli for the post when Alan Hevesi resigned after admitting that he had a state employee chauffeur his wife around.
The comptroller is the sole trustee of a $184.5 billion pension fund covering more than 1 million government workers and retirees, and oversees an office with more than 2,600 employees that audits state and local governments, administers state government’s $15 billion payroll, reviews contracts and issues debt.
DiNapoli’ s lack of experience in accounting matters showed early on, when he failed a pop economics-101 quiz sprung on him by The Post in February 2007. He couldn’t name the number of retirees or portfolio returns for the state’s pension fund.
But one Albany financial watchdog praised DiNapoli, who has won two elections since his appointment, for his independence.
“I don’t think there’s been a single aspect of the way he’s run the office that would reflect any undue political influence,” said E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy.