Public officials never seem to leave: Ford, Schaefer, Abrahams

It was rumored last month that former Nassau legislator Denise Ford, a registered Long Beach Democrat who voted with Republicans, was working at the county Board of Elections after she ended 20-years on the legislature when she decided against seeking re-election last year.

Denise Ford

Newsday tracked down the rumors and confirmed that Ford spent a week at the board -- a favorite landing spot for former politicians -- earning about her same fulltime $84,304 legislative salary before she moved to a part-time job in Long Beach.

She told Newsday that she wanted to continue in public service, working on the same issues she had dealt with at the county.

At 73 years old, that made sense. Ford, who was well-liked by both parties, had already earned county health benefits for life as well as a full pension. And she had been involved in Long Beach issues even while she worked for the county.

Former Ford colleagues on the legislature also are still on the county payroll.

Former Legis. Laura Schaefer. a Westbury Republican elected in 2013, decided against running for re-election last year after her district was wholly redrawn, putting her in the same district with Republican incumbent William Gaylor of Lynbrook.

Laura Schaefer

But Schaefer, an attorney, didn't stay gone for long.

She is now working as a $150,000-a-year deputy county attorney.

And then there is former Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams, a Freeport Democrat who served 20 years on the county legislature including 12 as the Democratic leader. He too decided against seeking re-election last year.

But sources say Abrahams is now on the payroll of the Board of Elections as a part-timer, reportedly earning $71.50 an hour. 

Kevan Abrahams

Abrahams, who is not yet 50 years old, is does not yet qualify for retiree county health benefits (rules say workers must be on the payroll when they are 55 to be eligible for Nassau's  gold-plated health benefit package). But he already has already earned his full 20-year pension.

The only elected official who seemed to disappear after leaving public office is former U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Garden City Democrat, who announced in 2022 that she would not seek re-election.

Nobody in the usual political circles seem to know where Rice has landed after leaving office.

Kathleen Rice