(Suffolk County, NY-October 6, 2016)– Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone applauded actions taken by the Suffolk County Legislature to ensure oversight related to the withholding of Assistant District Attorney John Scott Prudenti’s financial disclosure information.
Legislator Bridget Fleming, a former prosecutor, and Chairwoman of the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee announced she will hold a Special Meeting of her committee on Friday, October 14, to provide oversight into whether the Suffolk County Board of Ethics improperly denied a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request related to ADA’s financial disclosures. Legislator Rob Trotta, a retired Suffolk County Detective, introduced a procedural motion which was passed by a supermajority of his colleagues to force the Board of Ethics to turn over the financial disclosure documents to the Legislature as part of its oversight process. That motion was ultimately supported by 14 legislators including Legislator Bill Lindsay who spoke strongly for the measure and Legislator Thomas Barraga who seconded the motion.
County Executive Bellone issued the following reaction:
“I applaud the Suffolk County Legislature for acting quickly and strongly to provide oversight. Last night, a supermajority of the Suffolk County Legislature sent a very powerful message that a lack of transparency will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. By using the Legislature’s existing oversight powers and supporting transparency, we can take a small step forward in restoring the public’s trust in government. Fundamentally, I believe that Suffolk County law is clear that financial disclosure documents are public documents and that the public has a right to the information contained in them. I will continue to push this issue until the Board of Ethics does the right thing and releases this information to the public."