Republican New York attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy is making Medicaid fraud enforcement a centerpiece of her campaign, charging that prosecutions have sharply declined under incumbent Attorney General Letitia James. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Komatireddy accused James of failing to aggressively pursue Medicaid fraud, saying taxpayers could be losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars in potential recoveries.

The issue has gained national attention following investigators uncovering billions of dollars in alleged fraud tied to public assistance programs in Minnesota. The scandal pushed the Trump administration to make cracking down on fraud a higher priority, with Vice President JD Vance leading a federal effort. Republican candidates in races across the country, including New York's attorney general contest, are calling for states to do more to prosecute Medicaid fraud and recover taxpayer money.

What the Right Is Saying

Komatireddy said Medicaid fraud recoveries have plummeted under James, falling from $168 million in 2019, her first year in office, to just $31 million in 2024, according to data from New York Attorney General's annual reports. She argued that historical precedents show much higher recovery levels are achievable.

"Even her Democratic predecessors used to bring in $200 to $300 million per year in fraudulent proceeds," Komatireddy said. "When Tish James comes into office, it goes down to $20 to $30 million per year. According to her own year-end reports, she's just decided not to do that part of the job."

Komatireddy noted that before James took office, New York attorneys general routinely posted some of the nation's largest Medicaid fraud recoveries. Under Eliot Spitzer, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit recovered $243.6 million in 2006. Andrew Cuomo's office then recovered $113.8 million in 2007, $263.5 million in 2008 and more than $283 million in 2009. And Eric Schneiderman recovered more than $335 million in 2012 — the second-highest annual total in the unit's history.

She also pointed to declining criminal convictions under James's tenure. "It used to be the case the New York Attorney General's office would get around 100 criminal convictions a year, holding people who are stealing from Medicaid accountable," Komatireddy said. "Under Tish James, that number is very low. There's one year where she got eight criminal convictions."

Komatireddy pledged to strengthen the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit by adding 20 criminal prosecutors if elected.

What the Left Is Saying

James's office has not directly responded to Komatireddy's criticism. The New York Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the recovery figures cited by her opponent.

Progressive critics have pointed to other accomplishments of James's tenure, including her office's work on consumer protection cases, environmental litigation, and investigations into former President Donald Trump's business practices. Supporters argue that Medicaid fraud enforcement is one area among many priorities in a large state attorney general's office and note that recovery figures alone may not capture the full scope of anti-fraud efforts.

James has previously defended her office's record on healthcare fraud cases and argued that her administration has pursued significant enforcement actions across multiple domains. Democratic Party officials have noted that Komatireddy, as a Republican candidate, has political motivations for highlighting any area where the incumbent appears vulnerable.

What the Numbers Show

According to New York Attorney General annual reports cited in Komatireddy's campaign:

Medicaid fraud recoveries under Letitia James have declined significantly during her tenure, falling from $168 million in 2019 to approximately $31 million in 2024. This represents a drop of roughly 82 percent over that period.

By comparison, historical Medicaid fraud recovery totals by New York attorneys general include: $243.6 million in 2006 (Eliot Spitzer), $113.8 million in 2007 (Andrew Cuomo), $263.5 million in 2008 (Cuomo), more than $283 million in 2009 (Cuomo), and more than $335 million in 2012 (Eric Schneiderman).

State spending on the Medicaid fraud recovery program has increased during this period, rising from about $45 million in fiscal year 2020 to approximately $70 million in fiscal year 2025 — a roughly 56 percent increase.

Federal attention to New York's Medicaid fraud enforcement has intensified. Earlier this year, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz sent Gov. Kathy Hochul a letter asking for more information about how the state screens providers and fights fraud. New York was one of only three states — along with California and Minnesota — to receive such a request.

The Bottom Line

The decline in New York's Medicaid fraud recoveries under James has become a focal point in the state's attorney general race, with Komatireddy arguing that reduced enforcement ultimately costs New Yorkers by increasing healthcare spending and reducing funds available for other state priorities. She contends that proper prosecution of Medicaid fraud could reduce pressure on Albany to seek additional revenue from taxpayers.

Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor who spent more than a decade in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and later served as chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration, has framed the race as a choice between a career law enforcement prosecutor and an incumbent she argues is not fulfilling core responsibilities.

James's office has not directly responded to Komatireddy's specific statistical claims or her characterization of declining fraud recoveries. The contrast in recovery figures between James's tenure and those of her predecessors remains a point of contention as the campaign continues. What to watch: whether James's campaign responds with its own data on Medicaid enforcement, and how voters weigh this issue against other priorities in the attorney general race.