Letters

The Southampton Press reported that Southampton Village Trustee Robin Brown violated the village’s ethics code by accepting a gift, allegedly two VIP tickets to a New York City event unrelated to her role as a trustee, valued at thousands of dollars [“Southampton Village Ethics Board Finds Trustee Robin Brown Violated Code With Attendance at Fundraisers,” 27east.com, December 6]. The Ethics Board did not find her in violation of seven other charges, including an allegation that she used her position as the Coopers Beach liaison to receive free beach chairs, umbrellas and cabanas, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars.

The ethical violation raises several concerns.

First, Trustee Brown’s response to the Ethics Board’s findings was to immediately attempt to discredit the independent board and its chairwoman, Susan Steinhardt, a respected foundation board member at Stony Brook University. Worse, she and her running mate, Bill Manger, used taxpayer-funded resources to have the village attorney draft a letter questioning the Ethics Board’s decision, despite lacking access to any facts or evidence. Fortunately, one village trustee refused to sign on to this letter.

Second, this behavior is not new. During my tenure as mayor, Brown was caught building without a permit — after voting to raise Building Department fees. Instead of taking responsibility, she directed the Village Police Department to investigate the complainant, not the actual complaint. It was an embarrassing moment for our village, and her lack of remorse remains troubling.

Third, she publicly attacked the individual who filed the ethics complaint, dismissing his claims as a “vendetta” and “disinformation,” and the Ethics Board’s decision as “plain wrong.” However, if Brown hadn’t appeared in multiple online photos, she likely would not have been caught.

Fourth, her actions undermine public trust. During my time as mayor, I worked for over five years to secure land and design an environmentally friendly public park on Pond Lane, a gift for the community to enjoy for generations. The individual who allegedly gave Brown the VIP tickets had previously pushed for controversial changes to this park, exacerbating Brown’s appearance of impropriety. Brown’s ethics violation casts doubt over the project and has damaged years of work.

Fifth, these ethics violations come as the New York State Board of Elections, Division of Election Law Enforcement, found Brown in violation of campaign finance laws, having accepted $42,958 in excessive donations [“Southampton Village Campaign Committees Settled Election Law Enforcement Cases in 2024,” 27east.com, November 20].

Given her responsibilities — including oversight of the village’s $36 million budget and zoning laws affecting substantial land value — residents must seriously question her ability to serve effectively and ethically.

During my tenure, I fought nepotism, corruption, and the entrenched establishment, often challenging Village Hall itself. It is deeply disappointing to see the integrity of our local government eroded by the actions of Trustee Brown and the current administration.

Jesse Warren

Southampton Village

Warren is a former mayor of Southampton Village — Ed.