MTA officials then made it a requirement for all companies bidding for the space to pay the same $5 million upfront, a task that left Apple as the only real bidder.
'The MTA set a troubling precedent when it played favorites and gave Apple a competitive edge over others,' added DiNapoli.
MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said the audit was worthless: "The MTA's lease process with Apple was open, transparent and followed both the spirit and letter of the law. This audit is not fact-based, and accordingly, the auditors' opinion is worthless."













