Government actions related to Curran's two largest campaign contributors

                                                                                      

It wasn't widely noted at Thursday night's meeting of the Nassau Industrial Development Agency that the Simon Group, which is partnering in the development of an Amazon warehouse on the old Cerro Wire property in Syosset,  was County Executive Laura Curran's largest contributor in her last campaign disclosure report.

The Simon Group donated $25,000 last September to Democrat Curran, who is running for re-election this fall.

Newsday reported today that the county IDA Thursday night granted more than $10 million in tax breaks to Syosset Park Development LLC -- a partnership between Simon and Castagna Realty Co.

Nobody is saying there is a correlation between the contribution and the tax breaks, but it's worth noting.

Meanwhile on Monday, the Republican-controlled Nassau legislature is poised to require more disclosure from people and groups who use county property.

The move is a reaction to a donation from Curran's second largest campaign contributor.

Karli Hagedorn, chair of the county's non-profit Friends of Sand Point Reserve, contributed $20,000 to Curran, on the same day the legislature's Rules Committee on Jan. 11 approved a one-year "use and occupancy" permit for Karli and her husband James to live in the county's Gold Coast Mille Fleurs mansion in the Sands Point Preserve.

Nassau adopted laws that require county vendors to disclose political contributions to elected officials after former Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was indicted and then convicted on federal corruption charges involving a Nassau County contract.

But there is a loophole in those laws.

The one-year permit -- essentially a lease--was executed in the name of the county's landmark portfolio manager, Smith and DeGroat Real Estate, headed by Matt Smith.

So while Smith disclosed his contributions, the Hagedorns were not required to disclose even though Karli Hagedorn signed the permit and both Hagedorns were expected to live in the mansion.

The legislature has proposed an amendment to their reform laws that would require individuals and groups who receive "use and occupancy permits" to disclose their political contributions. Not only prospective permittees, but existing persons or groups with use and occupancy permits must file disclosures with the county attorney within 30 days after approval of the change.

"It was a loophole that was exposed," Legis. Steve Rhoads (R-Bellmore) explained when the proposed amendment moved through committees two weeks ago. "It came to light shortly after our vote."

"That's something obviously the legislature should have known about at the time....Whether there is any correlation between the two, I have no idea, " Rhoads said of the timing of the contribution and permit approval.  "But its something we would have asked if we had known about it at the time we considered the legislation. It is a red flag."

Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello said, "The whole concept of reform legislation several years ago was to avoid conflicts...and to assure that the legislature had full information about each and every vendor."

Rhoads noted that the legislature has found that the Hagedorns have contributed $119,000 to Curran since 2017.

The Hagedorns in the past also contributed to former Republican county executive Ed Mangano and to the Hicksville Republican Club, run by Mangano's then chief deputy Robbie Walker.