FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2026
Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117
[email protected]

NEW YORK, NY – “The Inspector General just cut off funding to Letitia James’s Medicaid Fraud Unit and called it among the worst-performing in the country — based on her own numbers,” said Saritha Komatireddy, former federal prosecutor and Republican candidate for New York Attorney General.

“Here’s what those numbers say. American taxpayers give this office about $60 million a year and over 270 people to protect 7 million New Yorkers on Medicaid. In four of the last five years, they brought fewer than ten criminal fraud cases. They received more than 2,000 patient abuse and neglect complaints a year and came away with one or two convictions — and less than ten years ago, New York was number one in the country at protecting these patients.

I encourage you to read the full letter. It is detailed and damning, and it makes the reasons for the Unit’s failure clear — a “deliberate leadership choice” to shift focus, open fewer investigations, and drag cases on for years, resulting in ballooning Medicaid costs for our state and less cash back for our taxpayers. New York continues to pay more per resident for Medicaid than any other state — twice as much as New Jersey — and there is no good explanation for why. I’ll tell you why: we’re being fleeced, and no one is protecting us. 

This is not a partisan issue. It’s about doing the job. Letitia James just decided not to do this part of it, and the people who pay the price are taxpayers, Medicaid patients, and seniors who can’t protect themselves.

I was a federal prosecutor for over a decade. I know how to do this work. On day one, I’ll rebuild this unit, add 20 criminal prosecutors, and start holding accountable the people stealing from taxpayers and preying on vulnerable New Yorkers. That’s the job. I’ll do it.” 

Read the full letter here.

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