WTF Is A DA Doing With A $800 Million Slush Fund?

At a time when most city and state agencies are struggling with budget constraints, Mr. Vance has secured a windfall of $808 million from criminal penalties against three international banks accused of violating United States sanctions — HSBC, Standard Chartered and BNP Paribas.

It is a princely sum, nearly 10 times the office’s annual budget. Because by law it must be spent on criminal justice projects, it has transformed Mr. Vance into a kind of Santa Claus for the law-enforcement world, with a sack filled with new programs and equipment. His power to distribute such large sums with the stroke of a pen has, however, led some good-government advocates to say it prompts questions about transparency and oversight.

For his part, Mr. Vance says he sees the windfall as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pay for new programs and technologies that could have a lasting impact on crime. “I call them transformative investments,” he said in an interview. “We have a window of opportunity here