Democratic legislators in Suffolk County want the state attorney general to investigate “potential misuse” of taxpayer money spent on Republican-led lawsuits that sought to strike down a New York law moving local elections to even-numbered years.
Six Suffolk GOP-led municipalities, along with Nassau County and Hempstead Town, spent just over $3 million on the state and federal lawsuits, according to invoices the lawmakers collected that included an expense for a banquet. Both lawsuits failed.
The Monday letter to state Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said the lawmakers are requesting a “full review of all disbursements, contracts, expense reimbursements, credit card statements, and purchase orders by Suffolk County and other municipal plaintiffs.”
At a news conference Tuesday in Hauppauge, three legislators said taxpayers deserve an accounting of how the money was spent for a lawsuit they found to be partisan.
Legis. Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon), the minority leader, said the goal is to “make sure that the public trust is reinvested in our communities.”
The attorney general’s office confirmed it received the letter and is reviewing it.
Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville) accused the Democrats of “partisan theatrics” in a statement. He said the New York law “was nothing more than a blatant attempt by the Democrats to steal local elections.”
He said he’s been working with the county attorney since January “to ensure that taxpayer dollars were being correctly spent” and added the county secured a “deeply reduced billing rate” and has an agreement “to be reimbursed for certain expenditures.”
“Members of the Democratic minority have not asked any questions, they have only engaged in political grandstanding,” he said.
The letter, signed by five of the seven Democratic legislators, states vouchers obtained by the county and a signed retainer agreement outline “a pattern of public expenditures, including hotel accommodations, banquet bills, catering charges, outside legal retainers, collaboration with political parties and organizations and a public relations campaign funded by taxpayers.”
County Attorney Chris Clayton said in a statement the even-year law was “unilaterally forced upon the voters of Suffolk County by Democrats in Albany with one goal: to dilute our voice in local elections.” He said the county was compelled by the state “to take action to protect the interests of Suffolk County voters.”
He said that litigation “is time-consuming and expensive” and added that County Executive Edward P. Romaine and the presiding officer “have worked collaboratively on this matter to help control the costs of litigation while trying to protect the interests of Suffolk County voters.”
The New York State Republican Committee filed the federal lawsuit in October 2025 arguing that even-numbered year elections would unfairly minimize the importance of local elections over national contests, such as the presidency. Other local GOP committees and GOP-led municipalities also joined the suit. U.S. District Judge Gary R. Brown dismissed the case in a June 29 decision.
Brown wrote that the court notes “evident conflict concerns” about the attorney representing partisan political organizations and municipalities. He wrote that the presence of the municipalities in the lawsuit was “troubling” and “especially so in light of the substantial legal expenses reportedly billed to the governmental plaintiffs by counsel.”
Legis. Greg Doroski (D-Mattituck) sponsored a bill to rescind the 2024 resolution authorizing the county to join the lawsuit and to seek reimbursement from the outside counsel, Brewer Attorneys & Counselors, who represented the plaintiffs. That bill will be before the legislature’s Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. Lawmakers voted 13-5 to pass that 2024 resolution, with Legis. Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) the lone Democrat to vote yes.
Legis. Rebecca Sanin (D-Huntington Station) said municipalities have a right to file lawsuits to protect their interests, “but when they choose to do so with public funds, public accountability comes with it.”
In one example, the attorney billed $9,202.44 for a Sept. 3, 2025, corporate event for 25 guests at The Mansion in Glen Cove, according to an invoice.
Suffolk County spent $416,066 on the two cases, and the towns of Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead and Smithtown spent between $246,000 and $416,000, according to invoices the lawmakers collected.
Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
