Letters

Please realize that the winner of the March election for a vacant Town Council position has an excellent chance of being in office for about a decade.

The focus on John Leonard’s qualifications for this election highlights a much bigger issue that has only been touched on: His choice reveals the awful manner in which he was chosen by the Democratic Party.

It seems the party treats voters as lemmings, and it seems to imagine itself as Tammany Hall East. Its successes may have bred arrogance and something worse.

For example, the attacks of George Lynch, communication chair (of all things) of the Democratic Party, on critics of Mr. Leonard [“Afraid?” Letters, January 30] is disgraceful after it stops being laughable. His suggestion that Mr. Leonard defend himself against these critics had the unfortunate consequence that Mr. Leonard did so. His defense raises more questions than it answers.

“Personal challenges” and “inexperience” are given as answers for serious ethical lapses. This is the response one expects from a 12-year-old wriggling, not an adult lawyer. And he goes on to say with great verve why he will be a good council member. All this seems analogous to Pete Hegseth saying recently that he will not drink again if appointed. Should Mr. Leonard also be given benefit of the doubt? After his following the flawed and self-serving advice from Mr. Lynch, whose communication nonexpertise betrayed the arrogance of his party, perhaps not.

Jose Reyes [“Crucial Information,” Letters, January 30] asserts that the “82 members of the Democratic Committee” were not informed of Mr. Leonard’s past ethical lapses. Possibly even such a rubber stamp could not swallow hard. May I ask: Eighty-two members of a committee?

So, are so few members of a nominating committee (less than 10) going to decide who may sit on our Town Council, perhaps for a decade?

Are the large Democratic Party donors the same as the candidate’s?

Whose interests will truly be served with Mr. Leonard’s election? Donors or constituents?

Will Mr. Leonard resign his other government positions as he runs and if he gets elected?

Were other Democrats considered for this election? Who were they? What, if any, were their ethical lapses?

Is there a written report from the nominating committee detailing why it chose Mr. Leonard and not someone else?

Will the Democratic Party have a primary to decide who will run next November?

Please.

Steve Crispinelli

Hampton Bays