A law firm that says it found no evidence to support corruption allegations against two New York City unions has long-running financial and familial ties to those labor organizations, public records show.The Hotel Trades Council (HTC) and UNITE HERE Local 6 (UH6) hired Pitta LLP to investigate a whistleblower letter alleging a culture of quid pro quo corruption and improper gift-giving at the two unions.The firm’s review was completed in March 2026.
While Pitta LLP ultimately found no evidence that the two labor organizations had broken the law, the firm had previously received millions from the unions.The firm's leaders also share family ties with former union leaders.Some legal experts said this could lead to an appearance of impropriety.Though the financial and familial relationships may raise eyebrows, Pitta LLP had no legal obligation to disclose them in its review.SOURCES CORROBORATE WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS OF CORRUPTION, QUID PRO QUO CULTURE INSIDE POWERFUL NYC UNIONPresident Rich Maroko speaks during a press conference with New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani at the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council building on July 2, 2025, in New York City.
Mamdani celebrated his mayoral primary victory with leaders and members of the city’s labor unions, including the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, 32BJ SEIU, New York State Nurses Association, and NY City Central Labor Council, and received the endorsements of these unions. (Michael M.Santiago/Getty Images)Between 2020 and 2025, HTC and UH6 collectively paid $11.6 million to Pitta LLP for legal services, an average of nearly $2 million a year, according to disclosure documents filed with the department.The Center for Union Facts (CUF), a nonprofit watchdog group that is sharply critical of labor unions and union leadership, provided documentation to Fox News Digital showing that the father of Vincent Pitta, the law firm’s chairman, held leadership positions at the two unions and that his sister is married ...