A federal lawsuit filed by a longtime staffer describes what he says was a crude, sexually charged atmosphere inside the New York State Comptroller’s Manhattan operation, featuring lewd cartoons, vulgar texts and even a penis-shaped balloon at a retirement party. The case, which the parties later resolved, is resurfacing just as Tom DiNapoli heads into another statewide campaign, reviving questions about oversight and workplace culture in an office that manages billions in public funds.
As reported by the New York Post, the complaint was filed in 2020 by Evan Harris, a 16-year employee who said he worked in the Office of Unclaimed Funds and was subjected to repeated sexualized comments and images. According to the filing, coworkers circulated smutty cartoons and lewd texts, and it includes a photograph of what the complaint calls a penis-shaped balloon at a retirement event held at the Maiden Lane office. The Post also reports that the parties agreed to settle on April 17, 2024, for $350,000, and that public records show roughly $900,000 in taxpayer money was paid to outside law firms to defend the office, including Bond Schoeneck & King and O'Connell and Aronowitz.
Where the incidents allegedly occurred
The complaint focuses on the Comptroller’s New York City offices at 59 Maiden Lane, described as the city hub for the Office of Unclaimed Funds and regional audit staff. According to the Office of the New York State Comptroller’s public contact information, 59 Maiden Lane is the agency’s Manhattan address and houses several divisions tied to audits and unclaimed property.
Legal record and political fallout
The suit names supervisors and claims Harris was punished after speaking up, including by being left out of projects and ultimately fired for cause, as laid out in the complaint and reported by the New York Post. In 2023, Judge Loretta A. Preska rejected the comptroller’s office motion to dismiss, allowing the case to move forward. After further litigation, the parties reached the 2024 settlement that is reflected in court records.
Tom DiNapoli has served as New York’s comptroller since 2007, according to Wikipedia, a long tenure that keeps his office squarely in the political spotlight heading into 2026.
Why voters may care
Even when a case ends in a settlement rather than a trial, the allegations and the size of the taxpayer-funded legal bill can shape how voters view management and accountability inside a powerful watchdog agency. Critics and ethics advocates are likely to seize on the episode as DiNapoli seeks another term, asking whether workplace protections are strong enough and under what circumstances public money should cover private counsel in personnel disputes.
Next steps
The complaint and settlement are part of the public record, available for closer review by journalists, oversight groups or political opponents as the election season picks up. For now, the case stands as a reminder that the culture inside an office tasked with policing others can quickly become a matter of scrutiny itself.
