New Ethics Complaint filed against Lafazan

                                                                               

Josh Lafazan (left) holding news conference about Congressional District 3  in county legislative building

For someone obsessed over pointing out Republican U.S. Congressman George Santos ethical flaws, Nassau Legis. Josh Lafazan, aWoodbury Democrat,  is somehow oblivious to his own ethical lapses.

Such as not disclosing on his county financial disclosure a private loan of as much as $100,000 from a wealthy North Shore couple for two years even though county law requires disclosures of all loans over $5,000. He amended his disclosure forms only after the New York Post began raising questions about the loan -- and after Lafazan lost a Democratic primary last year in his bid to run against Santos for the Third District Congressional seat.

Santos, who has admitted lying about his background, has said he will not resign. But Lafazan has received national publicity by holding news conferences almost every other day bashing Santos.

A criminal and ethics complaint was filed in January against Lafazan by his former Republican county opponent concerning Lafazan's handling of the loan. But if the Ethics Board has taken any action, they are not telling anyone about it.

The new detailed 15-page complaint was filed with the county ethics board Monday by anonymous "Nassau County taxpayers." It was addressed to Kenneth Gartner, chairman of the board, and copied to Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park). Minority leader of the Democratic caucus, Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) and the Federal Elections Commission.

It accuses Lafazan of using county taxpayer resources to campaign for Congress, which is illegal. It points out the many times that Lafazan used county letterhead and email to announce his press conferences about Congressional District 3, even holding at least one presser in the county legislative building as well as announcing his media availability during legislative meetings.

At the time Lafazan was still an official Congressional candidate, with his 2022 federal campaign account still active. Then he formally filed with the FEC in January as a 2024 District 3 Congressional candidate.

The new complaint also alleges that Lafazan used his county office and position to promote cryptocurrency in a successful effort to attract contributions from former cryptocurrency king, Sam Bankman-Fried, who is alleged to have swindled billions of dollars from customers. A Bankman-Fried PAC contributed more than $700,000 to Lafazan's Congressional campaign and Bankman-Fried's brother directly contributed $5,800 to Lafazan, the complaint notes.

Most recently, Lafazan launched a website seeking interns for his county legislative seat.  But the complaint contends the website is a ruse to create an army of volunteers for his Congressional campaign.

The complaint says, "The real “agenda” of this website is to build a team of political interns focused on electing Joshua Lafazan to Congress as the same website prominently features “Lafazan for Congress” lawn signs, tee shirts, literature and a video of volunteers proclaiming to be his Deputy Campaign Manager for Congress."

It also notes that a woman who claimed to be Lafazan's chief of staff contacted schools soliciting county interns for Lafazan even though she is not on the county payroll, lives in Texas and was a paid congressional campaign employee.

The complaint alleges, "It is apparent that several misdeeds may have been committed during the past several months. Mr. Lafazan has:
          1. potentially submitted false time sheets to the County and obtained pay for time where he was working on political business (which in addition to being time theft is also filing a false document).
          2. converted county assets to personal use (which would violate the state constitution).
          3. used the county’s property and personnel to benefit his political campaign (again
clearly illegal).
          4. misused and abused his position as a County Legislator to campaign for congress
under the county seal (another clearly illegal act).

"I am requesting that the Ethics Commission investigate Mr. Lafazan’s conduct and
activities. At a minimum, Mr. Lafazan should be disciplined by the Board of Ethics, made to
cease and desist, and reimburse the county for both his time that he wrongly received pay for and for the pay of the staff that prepared and distributed his flyers and worked on his press
conferences, and stopped from using county resources to further his political ambitions or
outside activism. His governmental internship form should not include Congressional activities..."

As customary, Lafazan did not return a request for comment through the Democratic county spokesman.