Third time Lafazan claims to have filed bills that don't exist

                                                                                 

The start of the Nassau County tourism commercial

                                                                                   

It sure attracts publicity to announce that you are proposing good government bills.

Nassau Legis. Josh Lafazan, a Woodbury Democrat, has done it at least three times so far this year.

Too bad he never actually filed such bills, according to legislative staff.

Today, Newsday's The Point takes aim at county tourism commercials that include the name and image of Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Also the names of county legislators.

Then it says, "The episode prompted Lafazan to propose a bill that would prohibit elected officials from using their image or likeness in any taxpayer-funded county promotional advertisements or commercials. That would include just featuring a politician’s name."

But legislative staff say they are not aware of any such bill from Lafazan.

Same with two other pieces of legislation Lafazan claims to have filed.

Last week, Lafazan sent a fund-raising email to supporters saying, "I'm proposing a first-of-its-kind, 21st century Veterans' Bill of Rights in the Nassau County Legislature to make sure all those who serve the United States get what they need once they come home."

But again, legislative staff haven't seen such a bill.

In January, Lafazan got national publicity by holding a news conference outside U.S. Rep. George Santos' office announcing his "G.E.O.R.G.E" proposal, a package of laws that would make it a crime in Nassau to run for office under false pretenses. Geroge is short for "Get Egregious Officials Removed from Government Elections."

According to news reports, it would include mandatory background checks of political candidates and make lying about their background a crime, which raises certain Freedom of Speech issues. Of course, it was aimed at Santos, who has admitted falsifying his resume and lying about his credentials.

But no, Lafazan never filed that bill either, according to legislative staff.

Wonder if lying about proposed bills would fall under that nonexistent package of prohibitions?

Meanwhile, New York State Public Officers Law 73-B already prohibits elected officials likenesses or names from appearing on taxpayer funded ads. Here's what it says:

(a) no elected government official or candidate for elected local, state or federal office shall knowingly appear in any advertisement or promotion, including public or community service announcements, published or broadcast through any print or electronic media (including television, radio and internet) by any private or commercial entity or any other entity that publishes such advertisement for a fee, if the advertisement or promotion is paid for or produced in whole or in part with funds of the state, a political subdivision thereof or a public authority.

But it looks like there is a catch: the "for a fee" part.

It could be read as saying that if the county paid somebody or something to produce the taxpayer-funded ad, elected officials cannot appear. But if the county produced the ads without paying anybody a fee, then Blakeman is in the clear.

Did the county pay somebody or not?