Critics Say Attorney General Letitia James Did Not Act Against Three Homeless Shelter Operators in New York City, New York, That Donated Over $56,000 to Her Campaigns

New York Attorney General Letitia James accepted more than $56,000 in campaign donations over the past eight years from top executives, lobbyists and spouses connected to three New York City homeless shelter operators, according to records cited by the New York Post. Critics say her office has not taken enforcement action against those operators, Samaritan Daytop Village, Acacia Network Housing and CORE Services Group, since she took office in 2019.

Over the same period, the three nonprofits faced scrutiny from the state Comptroller’s Office, the state Inspector General, the NYC Department of Investigation and federal authorities. The matters involved alleged insider deals, lavish spending, executive payouts, inadequate oversight of taxpayer dollars and other alleged misconduct.

A 2024 Department of Investigation examination of 51 city-funded shelter providers, including Acacia and CORE, found examples of “nepotism, lack of competitive bidding and exorbitant salaries” across the city’s shelter system. The agency also noted that the attorney general has the power to “bring action to enjoin, void or rescind” improper insider deals at nonprofits.

Saritha Komatireddy, a Republican and former federal prosecutor who is running against James in Tuesday’s general election, said that “these are precisely the kinds of abuses the attorney general is supposed to investigate.” She said other watchdog agencies had exposed serious misconduct while James had “refused to hold these operators accountable.” Komatireddy also said that contributions from individuals tied to the three organizations “raises serious questions about whose interests she is protecting.” She has previously accused James of not holding other troubled shelter providers accountable. The article presents these statements as her claims.

Records show that Samaritan board member Vito F. Pitta donated $6,000 to James’s campaigns since 2018, and his lobbying firm, Pitta LP, gave another $22,500. A 2024 audit by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli found that Samaritan overbilled the city by $566,556 over the previous two years. A follow-up audit earlier this year found that the Department of Homeless Services had yet to recoup $385,109 of that amount. Public money entrusted to shelter operators calls for honest dealing (Proverbs 11:1). The Department of Investigation also found that Samaritan bought legal and insurance services from companies tied to its own board members.

According to the report, Samaritan CEO Mitchell Netburn received a 25% salary increase to $465,289 in 2025, even though the nonprofit operated at a loss for a third straight year, according to its financial filings.

In 2019, Marcus Coles, a house manager at Samaritan’s residential treatment facility in Ellenville, New York, was arrested for raping a woman in his care and pleaded guilty to a felony sex offense. The state later sued Samaritan, alleging it had failed to adequately vet Coles, who had a lengthy criminal history that included multiple burglary and illegal drug arrests. The case was later settled. In March, James’s office petitioned a state judge to give Samaritan the title to the same treatment center, which would clear the way for new state financing, because the corporate entity that originally owned the site had ceased operations.

In 2022, 3-year-old Shaquan Butler Jr. was found dead with bruises at the Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst, Queens, which Samaritan then operated as a family shelter. At the time, local officials accused Samaritan of poorly running the shelter, citing widespread drug use. The boy’s father, Shaquan Butler, was convicted of his murder and sentenced to 32 years in prison.

Source: Read the original report