Long Island Democratic Leader Re-elected Amid Vote-Buying Allegations

Rich Schaffer, the Suffolk County Democratic leader, has been reelected to his position for another term, despite facing allegations that he attempted to pay committee members for their votes and threatened to have them fired from their jobs. Schaffer secured over 57% of the weighted votes from county district leaders on Tuesday, continuing his 26-year tenure.

The state Attorney General's Office has confirmed it is investigating the accusations, which surfaced shortly before the election. Reports detailed alleged text messages from Schaffer to a committee member, suggesting payment to a family member to miss a work shift to cast a vote for him.

Schaffer faced an insurgent challenge from progressive candidate Kathryn Casey Quigley. Leigh-Ann Bard, the Islip Town Democratic Chairwoman, publicly called for Schaffer's resignation, citing his alleged tactics and deals with the local Republican party. Bard described Schaffer's campaign as "Mafia-style" and claimed he made agreements to remove Democratic candidates from the ticket, facilitating victories for Republican opponents.

Bard's husband, committee member Roc Romain, holds a position at the Suffolk County Board of Elections that is dependent on the party's favor. Audio recordings have also reportedly surfaced of a Schaffer ally pressuring committee members to support him. Schaffer has publicly denied the bribery allegations.