Looking to overturn an election in the ‘Wild West’ of NY

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Dec 02, 2025 View in browser   By Jason Beeferman Presented by  State Sen. James Skoufis says a South Blooming Grove official admitted the date for a local election was moved because many voters would be out of town. He’s asking Attorney General Letitia James to invalidate the results. | NYS Senate Media Services GROVE PROBE: One Democratic state senator is calling on Attorney General Letitia James to throw out the results of a local election and oust a small-town mayor after he allegedly flouted election laws so he could continue running his town in a manner his critics likened to the “wild, wild west.” Orange County state Sen. James Skoufis says the mayor and trustees of the 4,000-person Village of South Blooming Grove engaged in a covert — and ultimately successful — operation to schedule an election for the unusual date of Oct. 22 because they knew a large chunk of voters would be out of town since local yeshivas would be closed. Now he wants James to overturn it. “I don't send this request to the Attorney General lightly at all,” Skoufis said. “But given the very crystal clear fact pattern here, I strongly believe that it warrants an invalidation of the election. That is the only remedy if we are going to protect democracy in this village.” His office launched a probe of “irregularities and effective voter suppression in the Village of South Blooming Grove” after he received constituent complaints about the election. Earlier today, he sent out a release publicizing his November letter to James where he called on her to pursue a little-known legal proceeding known as “quo warranto” that would allow her to formally challenge the local electeds’ right to hold office. That includes Village Mayor George Kalaj and trustees Abraham Weiss and Yitzchok Feldman, all of whom won the Oct. 22 election where just 132 votes were cast, Skoufis said. “The picture that continues to emerge is alarming: mounting violations of Village Law, Municipal Home Rule Law, Elections Law, Open Meetings Law, and more, unequivocally pointing to South Blooming Grove officials undermining free and fair elections on October 22,” Skoufis said in his letter to James. The Village of South Blooming Grove responded to a set of inquiries Playbook sent to the mayor and deputy clerk with a statement that the election was conducted “in full accordance with all applicable laws and procedures” and that it welcomes “the opportunity to share the complete record” with James’ office. “The Village has already provided extensive documentation related to the election process and will continue to cooperate fully with any agency seeking additional information,” said the statement, which was sent by the law firm Monaco Cooper Lamme & Carr. “The Village is committed to transparency and looks forward to assisting in any review to ensure full confidence in the integrity of the process.” Skoufis said the reports he received about the impropriety of the election were confirmed during a phone call he had with the village’s deputy clerk, Isaac Ekstein. “The short answer to why we changed from March to October: There was a lot of people on the outside trying to do a lot of shit,” Ekstein told Skoufis via phone, according to the letter he sent to James. “We did everything that we had to do,” Ekstein allegedly told Skoufis. “We made our research and it [October 22, 2025] was less time for anyone to organize to bring in a yeshiva here [laughter from Mr. Ekstein]... the main reason why is all the yeshivas are still closed in October. And I want to keep it at that.” The attorney general’s office said it received Skoufis’ letter and is reviewing the matter. The state lawmaker also charges that the village gave its residents notice for a meeting on whether to hold the election on a new date by physically posting a notice at Village Hall just one hour before the meeting started. A special election on the referendum to move the date of the election was ultimately held on June 23, where 71 people voted. “I had no idea, just as almost everyone didn't have any idea, that there was even an election that took place on October 22,” Skoufis told Playbook. “It only started really popping up on my radar when I got one or two calls from local residents, basically asking me, ‘Is it true that an election just happened in my village?’ The only people who were alerted to the election were seemingly a very small circle of supporters of the incumbent village administration.” Even before their alleged election shenanigans, Skoufis said the village leadership was engaged in “a significant amount of impropriety” over the years. That includes, according to Skoufis, an “improper” contract the village has with a sanitation company that was probed by the state comptroller’s office and plans to build “thousands” of additional housing units “in spite of the fact that they are literally trucking in water near daily because they do not have sufficient water to serve their existing residents,” he said. The village did not respond to Skoufis’ charges related to its sanitation contract, but said the statement about the effect of development on water supply is “inaccurate.” “Every new development in South Blooming Grove is required to provide its own independent water supply and cannot rely on existing Village sources,” the village said. Skoufis said of Ekstein and Joel Stern, another man Skoufis’ office said serves as the mayor’s assistant “have run the village of South Blooming Grove, since taking control, as the wild west.” “They have run the village with an iron fist,” Skoufis said. — Jason Beeferman   A message from Capital One: To support aspiring homeowners and to help them navigate the path to homeownership, Capital One – through the Capital One Foundation – is launching a new, $25 million grant initiative, in partnership with leading, Chicago-based nonprofit Lever for Change, that will accelerate efforts to make homeownership more affordable and accessible by surfacing bold solutions and investing in local nonprofits and organizations driving progress at the community level.   From the MTA New York and New Jersey politicians differ over track expansion at Penn Station. | Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images TUNNEL VISION: Democrats in New York and New Jersey were recently united in decrying the Trump administration’s threats to pull funding from the Hudson River train tunnel project, known as Gateway. Now, though, cross-state divisions are reemerging about what will eventually happen at Penn Station, which the new tubes are meant to feed. For New Jersey politicians, a major appeal of the Gateway is expanding the number of trains the Garden State can send into New York City. During a recent train tour through North Jersey, Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) touted Gateway as a way to double the number of trains and help boost the economic development of trackside towns suffering through inconsistent service now. “Think of how much more we can do,” Kim said. “Think of how much more people we can move through here. Think of how much more business we can bring to this community and others.” But to make that possible, New York Penn Station needs more tracks — and don’t count on New York to cheerlead that. MTA head Janno Lieber today reminded a breakfast crowd at New York Law School’s Center for New York City and State Law that “New York is paying for Gateway — 25 percent of the cost of the Gateway Project, which is exclusively going to benefit service for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit.” (New York’s overall share is closer to $2 billion of the $16 billion total.) The remark stood out amid overall bistate agreement about the need for the new tunnel, which is meant to supplement a pair of aging tubes that were damaged during Hurricane Sandy. Lieber said that while New York is happy to work with everybody, it doesn’t want construction work at Penn to lead to sacrificing space in the station that is being used by Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North. “Our Long Island Rail Road customers are not going to put up with tearing up what is now, from their standpoint, a decent system and a decent place to travel through,” Lieber said. His boss, Gov. Kathy Hochul, differentiates between long-awaited plans to improve the passenger experience at Penn from the even more complicated goal of expanding routes into Penn from New Jersey. To her and others, waiting until the decade-long tunnel construction is done to redo Penn is a no-go. The Moynihan train hall was also built but doesn’t solve all the issues. “This is where I had to be very aggressive, and I had to say, ‘We’re not waiting. We’re separating the two,’” she said during a recent interview with POLITICO. There have already been significant improvements to the station since she took office, like a better concourse and improved food options. Debates about expansion have been going on for years, but right now the Trump administration is spearheading an overhaul of the station, and adding new tracks isn’t in the cards. The Amtrak official in charge of Penn’s future, former subway system boss Andy Byford, has previously said the station’s expansion is “absolutely on hold” while the issue is being studied. The Federal Railroad Administration is doing such a study. That means the thing New Jersey wants may have to wait. But how long the project can be put off is another matter of debate. Gateway isn’t slated to be finished for another decade, but if Penn gets torn up and New Jersey’s problems go unresolved, it’s unclear when the next opportunity will come. — Ry Rivard   A message from Capital One:   FROM THE CAPITOL State Sen. Zellnor Myrie wants to tackle white collar crime. | NYS Senate Media Services HOT UNDER THE WHITE COLLAR: Democratic state Sen. Zellnor Myrie wants to tackle white-collar crime and corporate wrongdoing. The Brooklyn lawmaker today proposed a package of new anti-fraud crimes, including a tighter bribery statute and criminal transactions for virtual currency. Myrie also wants corporate “equity fines” for large firms that would impose penalties "sufficient to impose a meaningful economic sanction on the corporation and its shareholders." Proceeds from that fine would be deposited into a victims’ compensation fund. The legislation is populist in its approach — a frame that befits the current political atmosphere in which candidates are focusing almost exclusively on affordability issues. Myrie’s bill is meant to be the most significant update to corporate fraud measures in decades. “In the financial capital of the world, the punishments for white collar scams and frauds must fit the severity of the crime," he said. — Nick Reisman SAVE THE DATES: The 2026 state legislative calendar was released today with lawmakers scheduled to spend 61 days in Albany this year. The first day of the session is Jan. 7 and the final day is June 4. — Nick Reisman From City Hall Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani had their first transition meeting at Gracie Mansion this afternoon. | AP Photo/Seth Wenig MAYOR TO MAYOR: Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani had their first face-to-face meeting since the election at Gracie Mansion this afternoon. Both Mamdani and a spokesperson for Adams said that at this meeting, a part of a typical transition process, the pair discussed how to continue serving New Yorkers while prioritizing a smooth handoff between administrations. Adams' team said the mayor felt obligated to continue the tradition and have a meeting similar to the one he had with his predecessor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio, before taking office in 2021. During the campaign, the two were no fans of each other. Mamdani was a strident critic of Adams' tenure — specifically the corruption allegations that dogged the one-term executive — though he also praised other elements of the outgoing mayor's record. Adams, in turn, lashed out at Mamdani over his democratic socialist ideals and critiques of Israel — and even endorsed Mamdani’s opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in the home stretch of the campaign. This afternoon, however, the two appeared to put aside their differences ahead of Mamdani's succession in January. “I’ve obviously made my critiques clear. I also think that there are good things that this administration has done,” Mamdani told reporters after the sit-down, citing a rezoning proposal called “City of Yes” and the administration's work to get bags of garbage off the streets as two examples. The mayor-elect reiterated his plans to continue Adams’ work on both those fronts. Mamdani also commended the Adams administration and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch for the decline of crime across the city. Adams’ team said the sitting mayor discussed programs he felt were working, but also some of the obstacles Mamdani might face once in office. It remains unclear whether the mayor-elect will reside in Gracie Mansion, as most New York City mayors have done. When asked, Mamdani said it was a “decision I haven’t yet made.” — Caroline McCarthy and Joe Anuta CO-OP OPTICS: More than 125 co-op board members and New York City residents gathered at City Hall to testify against the proposed intros 407-A, 438-A, and 1120-A, which aim to increase transparency in the co-op application process. The bills would require every cooperative board to provide a written statement of its reasons for declining a sale within five days of rejection, disclose financial information to accepted purchasers within two weeks of a request, and establish clear timelines for application processing. But co-op board advocates claim these bills will put the system — which they say is one of the last affordable homeownership options in New York City — at risk. “If passed, these new laws would open up cooperators all over the city–volunteers who are simply working to make their communities a better place — to new financial and legal risk. Our cooperator community cannot afford this,” said Mary Ann Rothman, executive director of the Council of New York Cooperatives & Condominiums. Co-op advocates say specifically Intro 407 may deter participation as it makes volunteer board members susceptible to perjury charges if they fail to disclose written statements of declination within the allotted time period. They also argue the written statements will create a legal roadmap for litigation, driving up legal fees, insurance premiums and administrative costs. Co-op boards urged the New York City Council to reject the intros and instead speak with cooperative housing leaders to create new policies surrounding transparency that does not conflict with the foundation of co-op governance. However, advocates of the bills say transparency in timelines and finances will eliminate the drawn-out application processes, relieving emotional and financial stress from applicants and sellers. — Caroline McCarthy   A message from Capital One: At Capital One, we believe real change starts where it matters most: in our communities. Across the country, families, small businesses, and local organizations are working to build stability and opportunity for the next generation. Our $265 billion Community Benefits Plan, part of our acquisition of Discover, is designed to help people realize those dreams by supporting consumers to stay ready and resilient, grow and sustain small businesses, finance and support affordable housing across the country, and invest in community infrastructure development. Through this plan, developed in partnership with four leading community organizations and informed by conversations with hundreds more, we will continue our mission to change banking for good.   IN OTHER NEWS — DRUG PROBLEM: The City of Buffalo has spent less than a third of the almost $6 million in state funding it has received over the past three years to fight the opioid epidemic. (InvestigativePost) — ASSEMBLY WATCH: Democrat Chloe Pierce wants a rematch against state Assemblymember Scott Bendett for his Albany-area seat. (Daily Gazette) — TRUSTFUND BABIES: Adem Bunkeddeko launched a bid for state comptroller with focus on creating trust funds for every newborn in the state. (City & State) Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.   Follow us on X Jason Beeferman @JasonBeeferman   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Canada Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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