New York Attorney General Letitia James failed to investigate three New York City homeless shelter operators while accepting more than $56,000 in campaign donations from their executives, lobbyists, and spouses during the past eight years, records show.

Samaritan Daytop Village, Acacia Network Housing and CORE Services Group have faced no enforcement action from James’ office since she took office in 2019, according to critics.

During that period, the taxpayer-funded nonprofits faced scrutiny from the state Comptroller’s Office, the state Inspector General, the New York City Department of Investigation and federal authorities. The allegations included insider deals, lavish spending, executive payouts, inadequate oversight of public money, and other misconduct.

A 2024 Department of Investigation examination of 51 city-funded shelter providers, including Acacia and CORE, uncovered examples of “nepotism, lack of competitive bidding and exorbitant salaries” across the city shelter system.

The agency also identified the attorney general as an official with authority to “bring action to enjoin, void or rescind” improper insider transactions involving nonprofits.

“These are precisely the kinds of abuses the attorney general is supposed to investigate,” said Republican Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor seeking to defeat James in Tuesday’s general election.

“Yet while other watchdog agencies have exposed serious misconduct, Letitia James has refused to hold these operators accountable.”

“The fact that individuals tied to these [three] organizations have contributed thousands of dollars to her campaigns raises serious questions about whose interests she is protecting,” added Komatireddy, who previously accused James of failing to hold other troubled shelter providers accountable.

20 New Yorkers died on the streets of New York last January. Because Letitia James won’t use the law to bring people inside, make shelters safer, and help the homeless.

Homelessness has surged 60% under Letitia James. We need a different approach. We need a different AG https://t.co/saF8t6BcFR — Saritha Komatireddy (@sarithaforny) October 29, 2026

Samaritan board member Vito F. Pitta has donated $6,000 to James’ campaigns since 2018. His lobbying firm, Pitta LP, contributed another $22,500, according to records.

A 2024 audit by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli found Samaritan overbilled the city by $566,556 during the previous two years. A follow-up audit earlier this year found that the Department of Homeless Services had not recovered $385,109 of that amount.

Samaritan CEO Mitchell Netburn received a 25% salary increase to $465,289 in 2025, even as the nonprofit operated at a loss for a third consecutive year, according to its financial filings. The Department of Investigation also found that Samaritan purchased legal and insurance services from companies connected to its board members.

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 for allegedly failing to adequately vet Coles, who had a lengthy criminal history, and the case was settled.

In March, James’ office petitioned a state judge to give Samaritan title to that treatment center, clearing the path for new state financing because the corporate entity that originally owned the property had ceased operations.

In 2022, Shaquan Butler Jr., age 3, was found dead with bruises at the Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst, Queens, which Samaritan operated as a family shelter. His father, Shaquan Butler, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 32 years in prison.

Acacia Network also has connections to James’ political operation. Her longtime chief campaign strategist, Luis Miranda Jr., is among the leading lobbyists for the Bronx-based nonprofit, while Miranda and his wife, Luz Towns-Miranda, have donated a combined $25,898 to James’ campaign committees since 2018.

In 2019, the Department of Investigation examined Acacia after reports that it directed tens of millions of dollars to a security firm founded by its president, Raul Russi. The payments included $12 million in 2017 alone, while the relationships were not listed in city disclosures and tax filings.

The agency’s 2024 report highlighted Russi’s annual salary of $935,391 and CEO Lymaris Albors’ compensation of $836,684. Acacia also had a history of health and safety violations at properties it managed.

New York City cut ties with CORE in November 2021 after reports that chief executive Jack Brown placed friends on the payroll and created for-profit subcontractors that he used as a personal cash source. Brown collected more than $1 million annually from CORE and its affiliates combined.

Federal agents raided CORE’s Brooklyn headquarters in December 2021, and the city sued the organization to recover $2.3 million in “excessive executive salaries.”

James campaign spokesperson Grace Smoker did not address the criticism of the attorney general’s approach and instead attacked Komatireddy’s donors. “Ms. Komatireddy has raked in donations from Trump’s lieutenants and right-wing hacks, including [Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate] Vivek Ramaswamy,” she said.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Conservative Scoop. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.