FBI Investigates Long Island Democratic Chairman Amid Vote-Buying Allegations
Rich Schaffer, Suffolk County Democratic Party boss, is reportedly under federal scrutiny following claims he attempted to purchase votes for his reelection.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is reportedly investigating Suffolk County Democratic Party Chairman Rich Schaffer after allegations surfaced that he attempted to buy votes to secure his reelection. Sources familiar with the matter told The Post that several party members and local government officials have been contacted by federal agents concerning the investigation.
Schaffer was reelected to his position last month, a role he has held for 26 years. Accusations against him include attempting to pressure party members and offering financial incentives for votes. While the FBI has declined to comment on the ongoing probe, the New York State Attorney General's office confirmed it was reviewing whistleblower complaints against Schaffer.
Multiple Democrats and former Schaffer allies have come forward with allegations of a coercive campaign. These claims include alleged backdoor deals with the local Republican Party to remove Democratic candidates from the county ballot, allowing Republicans to run unopposed. Additionally, Schaffer is accused of threatening committee members with job loss from party-controlled positions and offering cash payments to secure votes in his contest against progressive challenger Kathryn Casey Quigley.
Text messages reviewed by The Post reportedly show Schaffer offering payments to at least three committee members in exchange for their attendance and votes. In one instance, Schaffer allegedly texted a member about paying his father to miss his security guard shift to attend a vote.
Audio recordings, secretly taped at a meeting prior to the election, also reportedly capture an ally of Schaffer pressuring committee members to support him or risk losing their jobs. Islip Town Democratic Chairwoman Leigh-Ann Barde stated that Schaffer allegedly threatened her husband, Roc Romain, a committee member employed by the Suffolk County Board of Elections, on one of these recordings.
Rich Schaffer has denied the allegations, calling them "baseless" and stating he had not been contacted by law enforcement as of Wednesday. His attorney, Mark Lesko, asserted that Schaffer is a model of professionalism and ethics and expressed confidence in the facts, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated.