Recent reporting in The Southampton Press [“Southampton Village Campaign Committees Settled Election Law Enforcement Cases in 2024,” 27east.com, November 20] revealed serious campaign finance violations involving current Trustees Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown, as well as former Trustee Gina Arresta.
The New York State Board of Elections’ Division of Election Law Enforcement (DELE) issued $15,000 in fines after determining that Stevenson’s and Brown’s party accepted $49,496.73 in excess contributions. Together, the committees collected a total of $92,454.73 in unlawful excess contributions, according to The Press.
For years, I have warned about the influence of campaign donors in Southampton Village. In one major situation, a campaign donor demanded the appointment of the now former village administrator, Anthony Carter, to the chief of police role, before Carter had even taken or passed the Suffolk County Civil Service chief of police exam, an action required by law. Bill Manger denied that campaign donors influenced the board’s decision [“Revealing Truth,” Letters, October 10], but the most recent Press article should suggest otherwise.
Additionally, I witnessed donors instructing trustees to only approve their preferred candidates to important regulatory boards, including the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. In some cases, these same donors had applications pending before those boards.
This growing pattern of influence has reached the point where campaign financiers are now actively shaping public policy decisions, including traffic patterns, zoning and planning.
The DELE fines demand our community’s attention. Southampton Village deserves a government that reflects the will of the people, not the demands of a small, highly organized group of donors.
Jesse Warren
Southampton Village
Warren is former mayor of the Village of Southampton — Ed.
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