A political battle between Nassau legal heavyweights

                                                                                

Laura Gillen

The fight over former Democratic Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen's Congressional nominating petitions, which are being challenged by Democrats Jason Abelove, a former candidate for Hempstead Town and current NUMC member, and Howard Colton, counsel to Freeport village, has now moved into state Supreme Court.

The law firm of Abrams Fensterman, headed by Howard Fensterman, the firm's managing partner and co-founder, filed suit against Abelove and Colton as well as the county Board of Elections commissioners, asking the court to validate Gillen's petitions and place her name on the June primary ballot for the 4th District congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Garden City).

Howard Fensterman

The objections filed by Abelove and Colton are insufficient, frivolous and "totally without merit in law or fact, " according to Fensterman attorneys Robert Spolzino and David Imamura.

They also want the court to order the objectors to pay their legal fees.

But the law firm of Jaspan Schlesinger, headed by Steve Schlesinger, the Nassau Democratic party's lead election lawyer for decades, also filed suit yesterday on behalf of Abelove, asking the court to invalidate Gillen's petitions.

Steve Schlesinger

Fensterman and Schlesinger are heavyweights in the Nassau political world.

Fensterman currently represents the Nassau University Medical Center in a fight between appointees of former Democratic County Executive Laura Curran and the new board chairman appointed by Curran's successor, Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman.

Besides representing Democrats in election battles, Schlesinger recently won a $132  million judgment against the city of Long Beach on behalf of developer Sinclair Haberman after the city thwarted and delayed efforts to build a four-tower oceanfront condominium complex.

Schlesinger stepped down as law chairman of the Nassau Democratic party in recent years only to be replaced by Keith Corbett, a member of the Harris Beach law firm and Malverne mayor.

Corbett is considered to be the beneficiary of the Abelove-Colton challenges because he too is seeking the Democratic nomination in the June primary for Congress.

Nassau Democratic and state Chairman Jay Jacobs has publicly doubted whether Gillen, who lost her bid for re-election as Hempstead Town Supervisor in 2019, can win in the general election. He  said that he favors Corbett and, somewhat belatedly, Nassau Legis. Siela Bynoe of Westbury, who is also seeking the nomination.

The legal filings were made even before the Board of Elections decided whether Gillen has 1,250 legally required valid signatures -- generally the first move in a nominating petition fight.

State Supreme Court Justice James McCormack signed an order to show cause yesterday for all parties to attend a hearing on April 29 to determine whether Gillen should be on the ballot or not.

Interestingly, McCormack's wife, Marie, is the Democratic candidate, cross-endorsed by the Nassau Republican party,  for district court judge in November, which could have raised questions about conflict of interests for her husband.

But the case was assigned to Supreme Court Justice David Sullivan.

Also seeking the Democratic nod in the Congressional primary are Nassau Legis. Carrie Solages of Lawrence, Insurance broker Kevin Shakil of Westbury, and Dr. Musibul Huq, whose headquarters are in Elmont.

The Republican candidate is Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony D'Esposito, a retired NYC police detective and former Island Park volunteer fire department chief.