Assistant Deputy County Executive
Timothy D. Sini, joined by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone,
speaks during a press conference at the H. Lee Dennison building in
Hauppauge, Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. Photo Credit:
Steve Pfost
Rick Brand
Rick Brand is a longtime Newsday reporter who writes about politics and government on Long Island.
Rick Brand is a longtime Newsday reporter who writes about politics and government on Long Island.
In
the hours before the first snowflakes began falling, it wasn't Suffolk
County Executive Steve Bellone on the morning TV news, warning of last
week's impending blizzard -- it was new and little known Assistant
Deputy County Executive Timothy D. Sini.
Bellone took over once the storm hit Monday. But Sini's appearance represented a high-profile opportunity to help ready the former federal prosecutor, 34, as a prime-time contender for county legislator this fall.
Democrats are looking to rebound from an embarrassing 2013 loss in the 14th Legislative District, where 23-year Lindenhurst Deputy Mayor Kevin McCaffrey won a huge upset in a nasty race. It was more painful because it's Bellone home district.
"It seems like they hired him just to run against me," McCaffrey, 60, leader of the GOP caucus, said of Sini. "But the feedback I'm getting from people is that they find it distasteful."
In the last two months, Sini, who makes $110,000 a year, was pictured running next to Bellone at a Wounded Warrior 5k race. He played a key role two weeks ago when Bellone announced a new anti-heroin initiative. Two days later, Sini as county spokesman announced a proposal that would require pawnbrokers get digital photo identification from sellers.
Sini, who grew up in West Islip and has lived in Babylon Village since 2011, worked five years for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who recently charged Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver with corruption.
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Deputy County Executive Jon Schneider said that "as a
former assistant U.S. attorney who has prosecuted murders and drug cases
his experience has been invaluable to the administration. He knows the
criminal justice system."
Sini not only became Bellone's top law enforcement aide last summer, but also is an unpaid aide to Babylon Supervisor Richard Schaffer, also Suffolk Democratic chairman.
"I told him the best way to learn the community is by experiencing it door to door and talking to residents," said Schaffer. Sini said he's knocked on 2,000 doors and brought about 185 issues to Schaffer -- from potholes and broken streetlights to speeding and reports of drug activity.
Schaffer acknowledged talking to Sini about running for the legislature. Schaffer labeled him a "very strong contender," but does not expect to make a decision until March. He said Bellone, who is also on the ballot, will help pull out a strong local vote for any Democrat in the district.
While new to politics, Sini said he believes he could win. "My law enforcement background puts me in a good position to help people in the district." Walking the district, he added, "gives me a great chance to figure out the concerns people have."
Anthony Pancella, Babylon Republican chairman said, Sini's effort "will fall flat" because he is largely unknown and he can't match McCaffrey's community ties. "I question hiring someone whose sole purpose seems to be showing up at press conferences," Pancella said.
Backers also say McCaffrey has an edge because the district has 15,919 Republicans voters to 14,719 Democrats, and that as president of Teamsters Local 707, he has strong union backing. McCaffrey said he has knocked on 500 doors and will reach 5,000 by Election Day.
Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) said attacks against McCaffrey may have backfired in the first race, but said McCaffrey is making the same mistake. "With McCaffrey taking shots at Bellone at every chance, it creates a narrative that he is running against the county executive. That's a mistake when Bellone's support polls in the mid-70s."
McCaffrey called Bellone, a former Babylon supervisor, the "chief attack dog" in his last race. "I think people like that I'm not a rubber stamp," he said. He said Sini "is only accountable to the people who hired him a few months ago. He does their bidding, not the people's."
Schaffer countered he expects a "very positive race centered around giving Steve Bellone a legislator who will work to implement his vision for the county, just like they were thrilled with his vision for the town."
Long Island Business News
At least one employee of Nassau County Off-Track Betting is questioning whether the head of his employee union, a member-elect of the Suffolk County Legislature, should have a say in Suffolk OTB business.
Bellone took over once the storm hit Monday. But Sini's appearance represented a high-profile opportunity to help ready the former federal prosecutor, 34, as a prime-time contender for county legislator this fall.
Democrats are looking to rebound from an embarrassing 2013 loss in the 14th Legislative District, where 23-year Lindenhurst Deputy Mayor Kevin McCaffrey won a huge upset in a nasty race. It was more painful because it's Bellone home district.
"It seems like they hired him just to run against me," McCaffrey, 60, leader of the GOP caucus, said of Sini. "But the feedback I'm getting from people is that they find it distasteful."
In the last two months, Sini, who makes $110,000 a year, was pictured running next to Bellone at a Wounded Warrior 5k race. He played a key role two weeks ago when Bellone announced a new anti-heroin initiative. Two days later, Sini as county spokesman announced a proposal that would require pawnbrokers get digital photo identification from sellers.
Sini, who grew up in West Islip and has lived in Babylon Village since 2011, worked five years for Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who recently charged Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver with corruption.
Sini not only became Bellone's top law enforcement aide last summer, but also is an unpaid aide to Babylon Supervisor Richard Schaffer, also Suffolk Democratic chairman.
"I told him the best way to learn the community is by experiencing it door to door and talking to residents," said Schaffer. Sini said he's knocked on 2,000 doors and brought about 185 issues to Schaffer -- from potholes and broken streetlights to speeding and reports of drug activity.
Schaffer acknowledged talking to Sini about running for the legislature. Schaffer labeled him a "very strong contender," but does not expect to make a decision until March. He said Bellone, who is also on the ballot, will help pull out a strong local vote for any Democrat in the district.
While new to politics, Sini said he believes he could win. "My law enforcement background puts me in a good position to help people in the district." Walking the district, he added, "gives me a great chance to figure out the concerns people have."
Anthony Pancella, Babylon Republican chairman said, Sini's effort "will fall flat" because he is largely unknown and he can't match McCaffrey's community ties. "I question hiring someone whose sole purpose seems to be showing up at press conferences," Pancella said.
Backers also say McCaffrey has an edge because the district has 15,919 Republicans voters to 14,719 Democrats, and that as president of Teamsters Local 707, he has strong union backing. McCaffrey said he has knocked on 500 doors and will reach 5,000 by Election Day.
Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) said attacks against McCaffrey may have backfired in the first race, but said McCaffrey is making the same mistake. "With McCaffrey taking shots at Bellone at every chance, it creates a narrative that he is running against the county executive. That's a mistake when Bellone's support polls in the mid-70s."
McCaffrey called Bellone, a former Babylon supervisor, the "chief attack dog" in his last race. "I think people like that I'm not a rubber stamp," he said. He said Sini "is only accountable to the people who hired him a few months ago. He does their bidding, not the people's."
Schaffer countered he expects a "very positive race centered around giving Steve Bellone a legislator who will work to implement his vision for the county, just like they were thrilled with his vision for the town."
Long Island Business News
Suffolk,
Nassau
OTB probe ethics conflict
by David Winzelberg
Published: November 24th, 2013
At least one employee of Nassau County Off-Track Betting is questioning whether the head of his employee union, a member-elect of the Suffolk County Legislature, should have a say in Suffolk OTB business.
Teamsters Local
707 President
Kevin McCaffery, whose union represents about 200 Nassau OTB
workers,
was elected earlier this month to serve as a Suffolk
legislator
representing the 14th District. In a letter last week, Nassau
OTB
cashier Jackson Leeds alerted the Suffolk County Ethics Board
to
McCaffery’s possible conflict of interest.
“As a Suffolk County legislator, his duties are to the people
of
Suffolk County,” Leeds wrote. “He cannot simultaneously
represent the
interests of employees of Nassau OTB, a Nassau County public
benefit
corporation.”
McCaffery told LIBN he doesn’t think the two counties’ OTBs
are in
competition with each other and he doesn’t see his role as
union leader
for Nassau OTB workers as a conflict with issues surrounding
Suffolk
OTB.
“If anything, I have the background of dealing with Nassau
OTB, which
gives me more insight on the subject than any other legislator
out
there,” McCaffery said.
When asked if the legislator-elect’s union job appeared to be
a
conflict of interest, Nassau OTB chief Joseph Cairo said, “If
you
really want to stretch it. But I don’t see anything that’s
apparent to
me.”
Cairo added that he’ll instruct the Nassau agency’s counsel to
review
the situation.
Leeds, a 10-year veteran of Nassau OTB, complained that both
union
officials and county OTB management have been too focused on
the 1,000
video lottery terminals planned for each county’s OTB and
they’re not
paying enough attention to current operations.
“They never worked behind a window,” Leeds told LIBN. “They’re
out of
touch with the bettors of Nassau County.”
Internet wagering and dwindling handles – the overall money
being
wagered – have prompted a consolidation in Nassau OTB’s
operations in
recent years; there were 15 betting offices in Nassau in 2003,
and now
there are eight. Suffolk OTB, which has seven branch offices,
filed for
bankruptcy last year.
These days, according to some analysts, OTB offices exist
largely for
political patronage – another reason, according to Leeds, that
the
Nassau union chief shouldn’t mix one business with the other.
“Union leaders should not be politicians,” he said. “OTBs are
run by
politicians. Being political and doing public good aren’t
always
incompatible, but they often are.”
This isn’t the first time a Long Island legislator’s OTB ties
have
become an issue.
In May 2000, Gregory Peterson, then-president of the Nassau
OTB, sued
to prevent Nassau County Leg. Roger Corbin from voting on
appointments
to the Nassau OTB’s board of directors. Because Corbin was
employed as
a branch manager for New York City OTB and a member of
Teamsters Local
858, which then represented all employees of Nassau OTB,
Peterson
alleged Corbin’s legislative role posed a conflict of
interest.
A New York Supreme Court judge issued an injunction preventing
Corbin
from voting on OTB appointments, but Corbin appealed and the
lower
court’s decision was reversed. The Nassau County Board of
Ethics also
chimed in, determining by a 3-2 vote that voting on OTB
appointments
didn’t create a conflict because Corbin didn’t influence
policy or
engage in labor negotiations.
With McCaffery, some observers say it’s best to proceed with
caution.
Anthony Figliola, vice president of Uniondale-based government
relations firm Empire
Government
Strategies, said the legislator-elect may want to recuse
himself
from any votes concerning Suffolk OTB until the Suffolk County
Ethics
Board offers an opinion.
“OTB is a political football,” Figliola said. “It’s better to
stay out
of it, especially if you want to get things done in the
Legislature.”
David
Winzelberg
Reporter
631.913.4247
917.796.1801
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