Pitta LLP Cleared 2 NYC Unions After Taking $11.6 Million, Despite Family Ties
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Pitta LLP Cleared 2 NYC Unions After Taking $11.6 Million, Despite Family Ties
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Summary
Pitta LLP’s March 2026 review found no evidence that the Hotel Trades Council and UNITE HERE Local 6 broke the law after a whistleblower alleged quid pro quo corruption and improper gift-giving.
$11.6 million in union payments from 2020 to 2025 and family links to former union leaders have fueled questions about the firm’s independence, though no rule required those ties to be disclosed.
Vincent Pitta said the four-decade relationship created no conflict, confirmed his father and sister’s union connections, and argued the fees were reasonable for roughly 40,000 members.
A second investigation by a former state and federal prosecutor also found no support for the allegations, and no union leader or hotel executive has been charged or found guilty of misconduct.
Legal ethics guidance cited in the report says longtime outside counsel can face confirmation bias and financial incentives that create at least an appearance of impropriety in sensitive internal probes.