Still no word from Steve Bellone as to whether he intends to keep intact Suffolk County’s contract with former U.S. Congressman Gary Ackerman. In February of this year, Mr. Bellone orchestrated an agreement to pay Ackerman $24,999 ($1 under the threshold for having to have the contract approved by the Legislature) to serve as a special advisor for the County’s Civil Service Department.
This past week, in a lawsuit filed in Manhattan, Ackerman was accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old Boy Scout at an upstate camp where Mr. Ackerman served as the director.
When news of the lawsuit became public, John Kennedy, candidate for Suffolk County Executive, called for the contract to be terminated and that no Suffolk taxpayer money be used to pay Mr. Ackerman’s salary until this matter is resolved, one way or another. “These are very serious allegations and they need to be treated as such,” Mr. Kennedy said. “Steve Bellone can’t bury his head in the sand and hope this goes away. He needs to address this situation immediately. Suffolk County taxpayers deserve answers — and action.”
For more information, visit www.johnkennedyforsuffolk.com or follow #SaveSuffolk.
