Gov. Kathy Hochul brushes off a federal investigation into a Long Island Democratic Party boss accused of trying to buy votes as a “political hit job.”
The governor, speaking to reporters in Midtown Manhattan on Friday, stood up for Suffolk County Democratic Party Chairman Rich Schaffer after The Post reported that he was being probed by the FBI over alleged strongarm tactics to secure his reelection.
“Anything coming out of the Trump administration days before an election… is calculated as a political hit job,” the governor said — despite the fact the accusations against the boss coming from fellow Democrats.
“I don’t believe you can presume what the feds are alleging is true — you need to know the context of who’s doing it, [and] what their record is of using their investigatory powers to harass political opponents,” she added.
Though the governor admitted she didn’t know the details of the allegations against Schaffer or what allegedly transpired, she said she believes there is “a cloud” over the investigation.
But when asked whether Schaffer’s alleged behavior was appropriate for an elected official, Hochul said she would “wait for the investigation” to review the findings and make a decision.
The reactions to the governor’s remarks across the party were mixed, as some fellow Dem officials told The Post they were “disappointed” with Hochul’s classification of the investigation.
Others, however, defended the governor and said she is simply not caught up to speed.
“It was clear that she was caught off guard and hasn’t been briefed on the matter,” Leigh-Ann Bard, former longtime ally of Schaffer-turned-whistleblower, told The Post.
“I have full faith in [Attorney General Letitia James’] office and the FBI doing their due diligence,” Bard added.
Schaffer, who has been the Suffolk County Dem party boss for over 26 years, was reelected to the top party post last month despite being hit with accusations that he tried to threaten party members and even offered money to some if they voted for him to keep the crown.
Just days before the election, multiple Democrats and former allies of Schaffer blew the whistle on his alleged Mafia-style pressure campaign. It is also alleged that Schaffer cut backdoor deals with the local GOP to keep Dems off the county ballot to allow Republicans to run unopposed.
They accused the 26-year chairman of threatening to get committee members fired from party-controlled jobs and even offering cash to those who would back him over progressive challenger Kathryn Casey Quigley in the party’s bitter civil war — his first real challenger in his nearly 30 years in power.
Earlier this month, multiple sources revealed that they had been interviewed by federal and state agents about the Dem boss.
The FBI declined to comment on whether or not it was investigating Schaffer, however, The Post confirmed that multiple sources had received secure invites to virtual interviews sent from federal investigators with subject lines regarding the county Dem boss.
Schaffer has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and called them “baseless.”
