New York's elections watchdog declined to seek sanctions against the Bronx Democratic Party after New York Focus reported it failed to file a spate of campaign disclosure reports and hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions and spending.
Bronx Democrats Filed Reports Years Late, Don’t Face Fines
New York’s elections watchdog has sued hundreds over missing disclosures but declined to seek sanctions against the Bronx Democratic Party.
nysfocus.com
A lobbyist romantically linked to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie led a rally opposing major environmental legislation a week before Heastie declined to bring it to a vote. It's unclear if Heastie still has any recusal policy related to the lobbyist nysfocus.com/2026/06/11/h...
NY Plastics Bill Died After Blitz by Lobbyists with Ties to Heastie
A lobbyist who has been romantically linked to Heastie led a rally opposing the legislation a week before the speaker declined to bring it to a vote.
nysfocus.com
The Bronx Democratic Party recently smashed campaign fundraising records — fueled by huge gifts from Airbnb and Uber — while party operatives lobby Bronx lawmakers for some of the major donors nysfocus.com/2026/04/13/b...
As the Bronx Democratic Party’s Clout Grows, So Does Its Bottom Line
The party collected record-breaking gifts from Airbnb and Uber, while party operatives lobbied Bronx lawmakers.
nysfocus.com
The Partnership for NYC raised $10 million from big business and is fighting proposed tax hikes in Albany. Before the fundraising began, its political arm amended its corporate structure -- using an alleged 'loophole' to shield how much the donors gave nysfocus.com/2026/04/01/b...
Business Group Fighting Tax Hikes Shields Information About Funders
Using an exemption to a 2012 law, the Partnership for New York City has revealed the names of donors to its political arm, but not the amount each gave.
nysfocus.com
How a Fee To Fight Auto Insurance Fraud Became a Cash Cow for Police nysfocus.com/2026/03/11/a...
How a Fee To Fight Insurance Fraud Became a Cash Cow for Police
Critics say the $10 annual fees state drivers pay to fight car insurance theft and fraud aren’t being used as intended.
nysfocus.com
Lenders' allegedly illegal math in New York foreclosure cases has had another consequence: Raising the bidding price at auctions, where in more than 1,250 instances, lenders walked away with homes for almost nothing nysfocus.com/2026/02/05/f...
How Disputed Math Allegedly Helped a Bank Win a Brooklyn Home for $100
New York Focus identified more than a thousand cases where the use of a controversial interest formula increased a house’s bidding price at auction.
nysfocus.com
NEW: Hochul proposed adding $150 million to the New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit. That’s despite complaints from watchdogs that the program often funds big shows like “The Lion King,” and “Wicked” that they say do not need taxpayer money to survive.
Broadway Donated Heavily to Hochul Before Proposed Tax Credit Boost
The governor’s campaign got an influx of donations from theater producers as its trade group lobbied her office to “enhance” the credit.
nysfocus.com
An investigation by @nysfocus.bsky.social & @gothamist.com found a widespread irregularity in NY’s court system — one costing homeowners facing foreclosure millions. All under the noses of judges, court referees & regulators nysfocus.com/2025/12/03/n... w/ @davidfbrand.bsky.social
Big Banks Accused of ‘Systematic Fraud’ in New York Foreclosure…
An investigation by New York Focus and Gothamist found lenders are using a disputed method of calculating debts in thousands of foreclosures and taking…
nysfocus.com
Alleged victims of a disgraced lawyer were ignored by the Manhattan DA -- then rejected by a Fund meant to compensate victims of lawyer theft nysfocus.com/2025/10/10/l...
She Says Her Lawyer Stole Her Money. She Can’t Get the DA to Return…
Despite mounting evidence that a disbarred attorney stole client funds, Manhattan prosecutors have taken no action.
nysfocus.com
NEW: Have you been sued for credit card debt? In NYC, tens of thousands of people are sued for debt every year. But many never learn about the lawsuits, because process servers don’t deliver the court papers.
Have You Been Sued for Credit Card Debt? Your Fake Relative Might…
Collectors claim they serve people who don't exist, yet regulators rarely bar repeat offenders from the industry.
nysfocus.com
New: A powerful Bronx politician dines on developers' double donations nysfocus.com/2025/06/05/r...
A Powerful Bronx Politician Dines on Developers’ Double Donations
An expert calls the six-figure haul “extraordinary” for an unpaid party seat whose powers are picking judges, poll workers, and party officers.
nysfocus.com
A Westchester County mayor helped rezone land he owned — dramatically increasing the value — then sold it to a housing developer for $2.9M nysfocus.com/2025/05/21/m...
Harrison Mayor Helped Rezone His Own Land — Then Sold It for $2.9…
Richard Dionisio participated in multiple votes related to a controversial rezoning effort without publicly disclosing his financial interest.
nysfocus.com
New: In Yonkers, Mayor Mike Spano has stated his administration has not been lobbied by his powerful brother’s firm. Emails indicate otherwise. nysfocus.com/2025/04/30/y...
For a Yonkers Political Dynasty, a Succession of Blurred Lines
Mayor Mike Spano has stated his administration has not been lobbied by his powerful brother’s firm. Emails indicate otherwise.
nysfocus.com
The son of a top New York judge is at the center of a controversy over an undisclosed romance. Meanwhile, the top state judge, Joseph Zayas, has himself appointed his son's girlfriend and boss to prestigious positions nysfocus.com/2025/04/09/n...
Top New York Judge’s Son, and His Boss, At Center of Ethics Dispute
A Queens court’s failure to reveal a romance has sparked accusations of bias.
nysfocus.com
New: Cuomo failed to disclose lobbyists who fundraised for his mayoral bid nysfocus.com/2025/03/20/a... w/ @juliarock.bsky.social
Cuomo Failed to Disclose Lobbyists Who Bundled Donations
Donors solicited by at least three undisclosed bundlers — Tonio Burgos, Jim Whelan, and Rick Ostroff — were told their gifts would be matched with public…
nysfocus.com
Cuomo’s state-funded defense lawyers are the throwing him a fundraiser nysfocus.com/2025/03/11/a...
Cuomo’s State-Funded Defense Lawyers Are Throwing Him a Fundraiser
They got tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to defend Andrew Cuomo against scandal. Now, they’re helping fund his comeback.
nysfocus.com
Patronage Never Left: New York Courts Still Favor the Politically Connected nysfocus.com/2025/03/05/n...
Patronage Never Left: NY Courts Still Favor the Politically Connected
A New York Focus investigation reveals how party officials and politically connected law firms continue to profit from court-appointed roles.
nysfocus.com
NEW: SNAP has been a lifeline for needy New Yorkers at a time of increasing food insecurity. But it has also become a target for thieves who use hidden skimming devices on card readers to steal millions in benefits. Will New York commit to a simple fix?
A Simple Fix Could Stop Millions in Food Stamp Theft. Will New York…
Chip technology has been standard in credit and debit cards for a decade. It could stop New York’s surging rate of stolen benefits.
nysfocus.com
Mystery donor funds $10M campaign against Hochul’s home care plan nysfocus.com/2025/02/04/h...
Mystery Donor Funds $10M Campaign Against Hochul Home Care Plan
The money is being routed through a nonprofit.
nysfocus.com
A new Reporters' Notebook from @chrisbragg1.bsky.social, @sammellins.bsky.social and @colinreports.bsky.social: ✅ A $1700 Bills suite tab was paid with campaign funds ✅ Bipartisan support for clean water funding ✅ New York’s top court upheld a man’s conviction despite his negligent lawyer
Reporters' Notebook: Bills Receipt, Clean Water Funding, and Court of…
A $1700 Bills suite tab was paid with campaign funds, bipartisan support for clean water funding, and New York's top court upheld a man's conviction…
nysfocus.com
NEW: Reporters' Note book from Bianca Fortis, @chrisbragg1.bsky.social and @colinreports.bsky.social: -A prominent New York lobbying firm racks up fines -Hochul proposes $1 billion in climate funding...over 5 years -An update to the state's school funding formula
Green Funding Feint, Foundation Aid Update, and Lobbying Fines
Hochul proposes school funding updates and a climate funding alternative. A prominent lobbying firm racks up fines.
nysfocus.com
Reporter @colinreports.bsky.social found that Hochul's staff tweaked her State of the State agenda at the last minute on Tuesday, removing a self-imposed deadline on cap and invest. Great find by a dogged reporter. nysfocus.com/2025/01/17/h...
Climate Deadline Stripped from Hochul's State of the State Agenda at…
The change was among a handful of eleventh-hour tweaks to Hochul’s policy briefing book.
nysfocus.com