Indicted
Longtime Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota and one of his chief aides were indicted in October on federal charges that they were involved in a cover-up of former Suffolk Police Chief James Burke's assault of a suspect in 2012. Less than three weeks later, Spota's office announced that he would step down. Credit: Steve Pfost
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Daily Point
The day has come
About 15 months after the rumors went rampant that federal prosecutors would indict Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota, it has happened — 68 days before he is to finish his fourth term.
So what now?
1) Even if Spota resigns, and he is not required to, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo would not appoint an acting prosecutor.
2) If a cadre of police detectives is lined up to testify against Spota and his top aide, Christopher McPartland, and they are convicted of cover-up charges, they could face serious federal prison time. As for cutting deals, they are the top dogs in the DA’s office, so unless either has dirt, or evidence on judges or elected officials, the chain stops there.
3) Will the Spota indictment have any fallout for the two candidates running next month for the seat, Democrat Tim Sini and Republican Ray Perini? It doesn’t appear so now. Sini has been a Spota critic and is not aligned with the office. The deeds of Spota and former Suffolk County Chief of Police James Burke were already baked into the public perception. And Perini doesn’t have the funding for a last-minute campaign blitz to pound Democrats on the corruption issue.
Rita Ciolli
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