DA, Muttontown officials meet over village election allegations

Nassau County district attorney’s office representatives met with Muttontown officials Tuesday amid allegations of voter suppression in the village election.

They met for about an hour after the county was alerted that voters were “allegedly being denied the opportunity to cast ballots,” Brendan Brosh, a spokesman for District Attorney Madeline Singas’ office, said in a statement. “We have no further comment at this time.”

“I came to vote as I own a house here and pay taxes, and was challenged,” said resident Kimberly Klein, 34. She said she was barred from voting after refusing to take an oath in private to affirm she was eligible to vote.

Keith Corbett, an attorney with Uniondale-based Harris Beach PLLC, which represents the Neighbors for a Better Muttontown slate, said Klein and others were intimidated and disenfranchised by village attorney Steven Leventhal and others.

“She was challenged publicly . . . She’s entitled to take the oath publicly,” Corbett said.

Leventhal said the village was following procedures under state election law for challenges to voters’ eligibility.

“If a voter is challenged, there’s a certain procedure that takes place. That procedure has taken place today,” Leventhal said.

Two candidates are running for mayor, and seven are seeking three open trustee seats.

John Ciampoli, a lawyer with Central Islip-based Sinnreich, Kosakoff & Messina LLP, which represents the Concerned Taxpayers slate, said Corbett’s actions were a “political stunt.”

Ciampoli said he challenged five people who he said did not live in the village.

Around 5 p.m., Leventhal said five or six voters had been challenged and of those, two were permitted to vote, two were turned away and one acknowledged he was not a resident.