NY politician suggests Levy consider resigning : Long Island Wins

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NY politician suggests Levy consider resigning: Written March 25, 2011 by By Associated Press

NY politician suggests Levy consider resigning
By Associated Press

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. — At least one official suggested Friday that a popular Long Island politician should consider resigning following an investigation of his campaign fund-raising operation.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, seen as a leading contender to challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in three years, reached a settlement Thursday with prosecutors investigating possible wrongdoing with his campaign fundraising operation.

The Democrat-turned-Republican agreed not to run for a third term in November and said he will surrender his $4 million campaign treasury to the district attorney’s office, who intends to return the money to donors after the election.

Levy was viewed as a strong favorite to win re-election, in part because of the large war chest he had amassed. He also was seen as a top contender to face Cuomo statewide in 2014. Levy lost a bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination last year.

Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota said a 16-month investigation by his Government Corruption Bureau “revealed serious issues with regard to fundraising and the manner in which it was conducted, including the use of public resources.”

Spota would not comment Friday, and a spokesman declined to discuss details of the probe, citing the ongoing investigation. The prosecutor said Thursday he seriously considered asking Levy to resign but decided he should remain in office until his term expires Dec. 31.

Spota cited “the need for stability in government in these difficult economic times.” Spota, a Republican-turned-Democrat, added: “If I believed that his actions compromised his ability to govern I would have sought his resignation.”

At least one Suffolk County legislator and longtime Levy nemesis was cagey Friday about whether the county executive should remain through December.

“It’s not my place to ask Steve Levy to resign; I am not privy to the details that only Steve Levy and the district attorney are aware of,” said legislator Jon Cooper. “But that doesn’t mean that Steve Levy can’t make the decision to resign for the good of Suffolk County.”

Cooper said he was shocked that the ordinarily combative Levy, who is popular with voters because of his frugal stance on budget issues, would not have insisted on staying and fighting.

“That is probably the best indication there were some fairly serious charges that were pending,” Cooper said. “For Steve Levy, the ultimate penny pincher to agree to turn over a $4 million campaign war chest to the district attorney? It must have been something pretty serious.”

Cooper said he respected the district attorney’s integrity, noting that he has prosecuted both Democrats and Republicans during his tenure. “If in Tom Spota’s judgment the transfer of $4 million and the end of a political career is what should be done, I will defer to the district attorney’s judgment.”

If Levy were to resign before the end of his term, an appointed deputy county executive would replace him until a special election could be held 90 days later, said Kara Hahn, a spokeswoman for the Suffolk County Legislature.

A spokesman said Friday that Levy had no public appearances scheduled and was taking a couple of days off to reflect and relax with his family.

Lawrence Levy, executive director of the Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University and an expert on Long Island politics, said the demise of Levy’s political career will be felt beyond eastern Long Island.

“It has significant implications for the GOP throughout the state,” said Levy, who is not related to the county executive. “The party loses who many of its leaders had believed to be its best potential opponent to Andrew Cuomo. Even if he lost, Levy would run strongly enough in ‘swing’ suburbs to help other GOP candidates lower down on the ticket.”

A spokesman for the state GOP did not immediately return a call for comment.

Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic strategist, agreed. “Levy could have been a star and what his party needs is stars,” he said. “Taking a hike is not what a fighter does.”

Although Levy was popular with most Suffolk residents, winning re-election to his second term with cross-party endorsements and over 96 percent of the vote, he frequently annoyed some in the Hispanic community with a strident stand on illegal immigration.

He also was viewed as having made insensitive remarks following the 2008 killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant by a marauding gang of teenagers. The U.S. Justice Department commenced an ongoing investigation of how Suffolk police handle allegations of hate crimes following the killing.

An advocacy group called Long Island WINS issued a statement Friday cheering Levy’s political demise.

“No discussion of Levy’s record will be complete unless it covers the reputational damage he did to the county by making it too welcome a home for hate, the moral damage he did to Suffolk residents by failing to protect them from hate crimes, and the economic damage he inflicted by failing to maximize the economic potential of its immigrants,” said director Maryann Sinclair Slutsky.

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