Behind-the-scenes ties in Suffolk GOP campaigns

Daily Point

Patriotic ties for new consultant?

Karin Murphy’s name has been bandied about for years on the periphery of Long Island politics. Increasingly, though, she’s become a behind-the-scenes player in Suffolk GOP circles.

Murphy’s political consulting firm is involved with several Suffolk Republican candidates running this year, at the same time she’s been a booster for local Patriot groups, even co-hosting a weekend talk show called “Long Island Patriot Radio.”

Murphy’s rising star in Suffolk GOP circles reflects some of the influence of the Patriot movement on Long Island, and comes despite her previous involvement with Rep. George Santos. The 2022 Santos campaign paid Murphy $23,000, mainly for social media consulting, records show.

Campaign Strategy & Consulting, the Smithtown-based firm owned by Murphy, was created in 2020. GOP candidate Manny Vilar, running for the Suffolk Legislature 2nd District seat, recently told The Point that the CSC firm is overseeing his campaign.

State Board of Election records show CSC and Murphy have been paid for consulting and related fees by the 2023 GOP campaigns of Suffolk legislative candidates Dominick Thorne, Manuel Esteban Sr., and Richard Felix, Babylon Town Council candidate Kevin Sabella Sr. Brian J. Lester, running for East Hampton Town Justice, and Gary Bodenburg, seeking a Brookhaven Town Council seat, are also using CSC. Murphy has also recently done consulting work for Suffolk County Clerk Vincent Puleo and Assemb. Ed Flood of Port Jefferson, records show.

The CSC firm’s website, called “WeWinRaces,” links to another site devoted to “LI Patriot Radio,” hosted by Murphy and Tracey Alvino, an outspoken critic of New York’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. 

In an email reply to The Point, Murphy and Alvino both deny any ties to Patriot movement extremist groups.

“From day one, LI Patriot Radio has been an inspirational platform for our listeners to hear from local opinion leaders, freedom loving patriots and non-profits that are making a difference in the lives of Long Islanders,” Murphy said. “Although our show is named LI Patriot Radio, it is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse any of the extremist organizations that the mainstream media purport to be ‘patriots’.”

Jesse Garcia, chairman of the Suffolk Republican Committee, said that it “does not retain any political consultants on an ongoing basis” and added that individual candidates hire consultants on their own.

The CSC has mentioned on its Facebook website a number of events involving groups like Suffolk Patriots, SC Women’s Patriots, Peconic County Patriots, Southfork Patriots and Huntington Northport Patriots.

For years, critics of the Patriot movement have said it is extremist. Some members were among those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6., 2021, according to a report by the George Washington University Program on Extremism.

“The "Patriot" movement is a collective term used to describe a set of related conspiratorial and anti-government extremist movements and groups in the United States,” the Anti-Defamation League says on its website. “Though each submovement has its own beliefs and concerns, they share a conviction that part or all of the government has been infiltrated and subverted by a malignant conspiracy and is no longer legitimate.”

Murphy’s CSC Facebook page has linked to the Setauket Patriots site twice in the past year. The group reportedly sent four busloads and many cars, with about 300 Long Island supporters to the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally which eventually turned into the violent attack on the Capitol. The Setauket group said none of its members participated in the attack. But its Facebook page contained photos from inside the Capitol and supportive comments about the attackers.

In her email to The Point, Murphy distanced herself from her former client Santos. “Like the majority of voters in the Third Congressional District, we were blindsided by Mr. Santos’ deceptions when we learned about them and immediately dropped him as a client,” Murphy told The Point.

Thorne, who has appeared on Murphy’s Patriot radio show, said he’s not aware of Murphy’s other political associations but added, “I speak to all people.” The Point left messages seeking comment from other Murphy clients but they could not be reached.

— Thomas Maier thomas.maier@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Overshadow

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Quick Points

Primary considerations

• With former President Donald Trump deciding not to attend Wednesday’s Fox-televised GOP presidential primary debate, and instead participate in an online interview with former Fox host Tucker Carlson, observers wonder whether Trump is trying to get more favorable coverage of himself from Fox or protecting his big lead in polling. Does it matter?
• Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said former President Donald Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential race because he will lose again to President Joe Biden. And the tiny fissure in the GOP gets a little more visible.
• Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign has been “somewhat of a disaster.” He really didn’t need that first word, did he?
• GOP presidential candidate Doug Burgum, the little-known governor of North Dakota, said he dodges questions about former President Donald Trump’s legal troubles because of his lack of name recognition. If you criticize Trump like you seem to want to, governor, you’d have a lot better name recognition.
• In trying to point out what makes him different as a GOP presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said recently, “we’ve drained the swamp” in Florida. Then came revelations he was selling rounds of golf with himself to deep-pocketed clients of prominent lobbyists for as much as $50,000 or $75,000. Please explain, because we can’t.
• Construction of Nassau County’s new family and matrimonial courthouse is mired in expanding costs and legal disputes in a battle that has lasted for years – an unfortunate echo of many of the cases that will be heard in it.
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief executive Janno Lieber is defending the decision to eliminate the popular 20-Trip Ticket, saying fewer riders use it compared to monthly tickets. Given the continuing clamor of protest, riders want to buy the ticket, not his explanation.
• Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years ended ingloriously when the spacecraft crashed on the moon’s surface. Waiting for Vladimir Putin to blame the fiasco on Ukrainian drones.

— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com