Bronx Rep. and potential gubernatorial hopeful Ritchie Torres touted himself as a critic of shady Albany politics Tuesday while calling for a probe into Gov. Kathy Hochul’s massive $9 billion home-care program .
But the outspoken congressman — zeroing in on a change Hochul made to the program — refused to criticize a powerful state healthcare union that heavily advocated for the revision.
Torres called for state and federal authorities to investigate Hochul’s Department of Health over accusations it illegally steered a lucrative contract to a firm involving its Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP.
CDPAP had been operating with the help of hundreds of private businesses and nonprofits working as payroll agents between Medicaid and the caregivers — with minimal oversight.
The change pushed by Hochul was designed to get rid of the hordes of unchecked middlemen and instead hire a single company picked by the DOH to consolidate the work and hopefully end potential fraud.