Seven Chinese language firms blacklisted by the US for participating in horrific compelled labor practices noticed a multimillion-dollar increase in investments from New York Metropolis’s pension funds throughout ex-city Comptroller Brad Lander’s tenure, The Put up has realized.
Lander — who’s operating within the Democratic Home major to unseat Rep. Dan Goldman — oversaw rising the town’s investments within the firms even after they have been sanctioned underneath the Uyghur Compelled Labor Prevention Act, signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Town’s funding within the corporations on the UFLPA listing skyrocketed from $4.8 million in 2022, when Lander took workplace, to $11.1 million by the top of his time period in 2025, public data present.
The UFLPA bans imports from companies whose items are believed to have been made utilizing the compelled labor of Uyghurs and different oppressed ethnic minorities in China’s western Xinjiang area.
Whereas investments aren’t banned, Lander has claimed his position as comptroller — managing about $290 billion in belongings for 5 public pension funds — centered round ethics.
He mentioned in a current interview with the New York Editorial Board that he labored to help “staff’ rights at most of the firms we invested in.”
It’s not the primary time Lander has come underneath fireplace for the town pensions fiscal strikes.
His workplace’s choice to finish investments in all Israel bonds in 2023 sparked fierce blowback from the Jewish group.
The ex-comptroller was additionally scrutinized earlier this 12 months, when it was revealed his workplace expanded pension investments in Palantir Applied sciences — a knowledge analytics firm utilized by ICE immigration enforcement — regardless of his outspoken opposition to the group, amNewYork first reported.
“Our work wasn’t nearly spreadsheets and budgets. It was about guaranteeing that each metropolis greenback was used correctly and ethically to serve the 8.4 million New Yorkers who depend on our metropolis authorities each day,” Lander mentioned in a video on the comptroller’s workplace’s YouTube account in December 2025, shortly earlier than his time period ended.
In a number of circumstances, Lander’s group elevated the town’s variety of firm shares in the identical 12 months or shortly after they have been added to the UFLPA listing, which is managed by the US Division of Homeland Safety.
For example, the comptroller’s workplace bought inventory in Cofco Sugar Holding, a Chinese language sugar producer, the identical 12 months it was added to the listing in December 2023.
One other firm, giant equipment producer Changhong Meiling, was placed on the listing in 2022 after reviews that police had escorted 90 individuals from Xinjiang to work there.
That didn’t deter the comptroller’s workplace from investing $7.4 million in pension funds within the firm in 2024. That funding now stands at about half 1,000,000 {dollars} in shares.
Lander’s group in 2023 additionally purchased one other 96,300 shares in Huafu Trend — a textile producer on the UFLPA for allegedly utilizing compelled labor — on prime of the 103,400 shares the town held when he took workplace.
As of June 2025, the town pension funds held near 200,000 shares of the corporate’s inventory, totaling about $127,000.
The opposite firms included Ninestar Corp, Zijn Mining, Xingjian Zhongtai Chemical, and Hoshine Silicone Business, in accordance with a overview of data by The Put up.
“As comptroller, Brad had a fiduciary accountability to New York Metropolis retirees, such that he was in a position to make broad insurance policies on investments however couldn’t select particular person firms to put money into or divest from,” a spokesperson for the Lander for Congress marketing campaign mentioned.
However the comptroller does have the ability to suggest divestment and exclusions to the pension’s board.
Lander unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic mayoral nomination final 12 months and is now going up towards incumbent Goldman within the race for New York’s tenth Home District.
He’s been endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who champions staff’ rights.
Present Metropolis Comptroller Mark Levine didn’t instantly reply to The Put up’s inquiry about whether or not he has plans to divest from the sanctioned firms.
