Nix the taxpayer-funded legal-defense slush fund for Letitia James— and any other state pol facing federal investigation

Holy chutzpah! State lawmakers have quietly tucked a sweetheart measure into one of the must-pass budget bills that would put taxpayers on the hook for legal bills Attorney General Letitia James racks up facing federal probes. The $10 million criminal-defense slush fund would seemingly cover any state employee 1) facing any federal “legally compulsive process” (e.g., subpoenas and so on) as of Jan. 1, 2025, 2) who can claim the federal probe is “a result of the employee’s New York State employment or duties.” Insiders are clear that it would cover James, even though nothing official links her day-job work...