Wild cards this week – Newsday

Daily Point Veto-override test for campaign finance

DoesSuffolk Countys public campaign financing system have the votes?Twelve are needed to override County Executive Steve Bellones veto of a bill passed by the Republican legislative majorityaimed at repealing the 2017 law.With at least two votes uncertain, the stage is set for a significant battle at Tuesdays meeting of the legislature.

Both Bellone and Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey say theyre cautiously optimistic their side will prevail.

One wild card has already been exposed.

GOP Legis. Rob Trottahas been outspoken against the massive impact of money on Suffolks politics and the county Police Benevolent Associations outsized influence, which he says derives from illegal dues collections from officers and banned transfers of and donations of money from the PBA.

But hes also been outspoken in opposing Bellone, on nearly everything and says Bellone himself has been an outsized beneficiary of PBA largesse.

His next move seemed unclear, but on Friday Trotta told The Point hes 99.9% sure hell be abstaining, which in this instance means siding with Bellone and public financing.

I know it [public financing]is going to cost $2.6 million, Trotta said. But were it not for the PBAs outsized influence, the last police contract could have been done with raises that matched the actual cost-of-living increase at the time, rather than doubling it. And that would have saved the county $200 million. But Im also going to rail against Bellone, who by my figuring has received at least three times as much PBA money as any other county executive."

So thats one Republican siding with the Democrats.

Last month, Legis. Al Krupski (D-Riverhead) voted with the Republican majority to end the program while Legis. Manuel Esteban Sr. (R-Commack) was the only Republican abstaining.

Krupski has said hes sticking with his opposition to public financing, and Friday McCaffrey said, with a chuckle, Manny has told me he is with me, but to be clear, that was yesterday.

If that all plays out as planned (and it has been extremely fluid), the issue will be decided by Democratic Legis. Thomas Donnelly who abstained during last month's vote.

Friday, Donnelly did not return a call seeking comment.

And McCaffrey, summing it all up, said: The one thing I know for sure is were not going to know for sure until we count the votes.

Lane Filler @lanefiller

With New Yorks Aug. 23 congressional primaries getting close, CD2 Republican challenger Robert Cornicelli is turning to a familiar face: controversial former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Cornicellis new video ad features a pictureof the candidate and Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general,standing together in dress uniforms, while Cornicellis voice-over describes himself as a trained military leader and relentless defender of freedom.

Cornicelli and the former Trump official go far back: In October, when he was briefly running to replace Rep. Lee Zeldin in CD1, Cornicelli released an endorsement from Flynn that called him a true patriot, noting that Flynn met Robert seven years ago when we worked together at the Defense Intelligence Agency. (Asked for more details about Cornicellis service, DIA public affairs said the agency does not confirm employment of current or former officers.)

By the spring, Cornicelli had switched congressional districts but still appeared to have Flynn in his camp, promoting a Facebook ad video in which Flynn, sitting informally in front of a houseplant and white window shutters, said he couldnt have been more excited when he learned Cornicelli was running for Congress.

But now, Cornicelli is running ina primary against first-term Rep. Andrew Garbarino, who is the only Long Island member of Congress seeking reelection this wild cycle. Garbarino voted for last years bipartisan infrastructure bill and did not object to the certification of the 2020 election the kinds of stances that Cornicelli is now using to question Garbarinos loyalties to the GOP and Trump.

The challengers new video says that the radical left and Andrew Garbarino do not believe in America First.

Flynn may be a useful figure as Cornicelli seeks to make that case the general calls Garbarino a RINO in that spring video and is popular among Trump fans but the strategy comes with risks.

Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI before Trump pardoned him, is a polarizing figure with a lot of baggage, including being ousted as head of the DIA during the Obama administration and calling for the military to seize voting machines after the 2020 election. More recently, the former military man pleaded the Fifth Amendment when asked under oath by Liz Cheney if the violence on Jan. 6 was justified.

Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano

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Michael Dobie @mwdobie

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Wild cards this week - Newsday