Sisters of a woman who was raped and murdered in 2014 sharply criticized Democratic candidate Seth Koslow after portions of his decade-old legal writings resurfaced in a campaign advertisement paid for by Republican incumbent Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
The ad features Tabitha Miller and Jennifer Driver, sisters of 21-year-old Sarah Goode, condemning a 2013 law journal article in which Koslow wrote that some women fabricate rape allegations for reasons including “a desire to hide her own promiscuity, a desire/fantasy to be raped, or a desire for vengeance.” Koslow also criticized rape shield laws, arguing they had swung the burden of proof in sexual-assault cases “in disfavor of the defendant, to the extreme.”
Koslow, a county legislator who previously worked as a prosecutor and later as a criminal defense attorney, is the Democratic nominee in the race for Nassau County executive. His writings include a 2013 piece in the Touro Law Journal and a 2017 article in Nassau Lawyer addressing criminal record sealing, which discussed pitfalls and procedures for applicants.
In the ad, Miller called Koslow’s characterization “sick and disgusting,” saying, “My sister Sarah didn’t ask for this. She didn’t fantasize about her rape. She’s a victim. Don’t vote for Seth Koslow.” The piece was paid for by Blakeman’s campaign and is part of a broader effort to draw a contrast on law-and-order issues in the suburban Long Island county.
Blakeman framed the resurfaced comments as evidence that Koslow is unsuited to lead the county. “Seth Koslow’s pro-criminal agenda is sickening, and his reckless claim that women fabricate rape because they ‘desire it’ makes him morally unfit to represent us,” Blakeman said in a statement, adding that voters face a choice between his record on hiring law enforcement and Koslow’s record on defending criminal clients and seeking record sealing.
Koslow’s supporters pushed back, with Nassau County Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs accusing Blakeman of using an “attack-to-distract” tactic to deflect from the administration’s handling of services for victims and public safety staffing. Jacobs cited the closure of the county’s Safe Center, which provided support to victims of sexual violence, and alleged that 90 prosecutors left the Nassau district attorney’s office during Blakeman’s tenure. He also said the Nassau Police Department remained understaffed by roughly 40 detectives.
Under Blakeman, the county won endorsements from law enforcement unions, and a recent U.S. News & World Report ranking listed Nassau among the nation’s safest communities. Blakeman’s campaign highlighted the hiring of 400 new officers as part of its record on public safety.
Koslow’s writings were published more than a decade ago while he was a law student and early in his legal career. His campaign has said his policy positions since then reflect a commitment to public safety and fairness under the law; Koslow has also emphasized reforms to the criminal justice system during the campaign.
The ad and the exchange between the campaigns come as voters prepare for an election in which public safety, criminal justice, and services for victims are central issues. The county’s political leaders and the campaigns offered sharply different narratives: Blakeman emphasizing law enforcement credentials and personnel hires, and Democrats pointing to gaps in services for victims and staffing shortages in prosecutorial and investigative offices.
Sarah Goode’s death in 2014 drew public attention to violent crime on Long Island and remains a point of reference in local discussions about victim services and criminal justice policy. The appearance of her sisters in the campaign ad underscores the political stakes of those debates in the Nassau County executive race.
Campaigns for both candidates and the Nassau County Democratic Committee provided statements to reporters; county officials and representatives for the Safe Center did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
