Hauppauge, NY- Suffolk's Ethics Commission is following the same financial disclosure practice that has been approved by New York City, which accepts the filing of a New York State form as sufficient for meeting local requirements.

Additionally, a statement issued by Steve Leventhal, who serves as counsel to the Nassau Board of Ethics and special counsel to the Suffolk Board of Ethics, indicates that Judge Alfred Lama’s decision as Suffolk ethics director to accept the state form comports with the opinion of other scholars. In wording from a decision over whether an employee had to file two forms, Leventhal wrote, “Generally, the laws requiring annual financial disclosure avoid redundancy. The General Municipal Law does not require local officers and employees to file duplicative annual financial disclosure statements if they are already subject to the filing requirements of the Public Officers Law, or if they are subject to the filing requirements of more than one local municipality.”

Recent media reports have raised questions about whether employees in Suffolk, including County Executive Steve Levy, are acting appropriately by filing a state form instead of a county form. Levy, who as a member of the NYS Pine Barrens Commission is required to complete and file the state form, had been filing both until he asked the ethics director if completing the single form was sufficient, as had been deemed acceptable for other county employees.

Levy said the fact that New York City accepts the state form is further evidence that certain members of the county legislature were blatantly and unfairly attempting to tarnish his reputation. Among those cited by Levy was Democratic Legislator John Cooper, who recently told the New York Capital News that Levy’s defection to the Republican Party “has made it easier for me to speak out against him.”

Cooper released a statement to reporters today that was critical of Levy for filing the state form, overlooking the fact that this practice is followed by a neighboring municipality.

Levy responded, “I have no problem submitting a county form and call upon Mr. Cooper to disclose all of his financials over the last six years to the public,” said Suffolk Executive Steve Levy. “It is reprehensible that Mr. Cooper continues to attack the integrity of such a distinguished jurist as Judge Lama, who issued a written statement mirroring the decision of the New York City ethics board that holds that a state disclosure form, which I am required to file, meets the requirements of the local filing.”

---