Probe into county settlement sought

Nassau Comptroller Candidate Howard Weitzman and Legislative Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport) Monday called for an investigation into a lawsuit settlement that reduced the fees that a major Republican donor owed to the county.

Weitzman, a Democrat who served as comptroller from 2002 to 2009, is running against Republican incumbent George Maragos. Weitzman said that in 2009 he conducted an audit that found the operators of The Carltun at Eisenhower Park had underreported $4.6 million in revenue, shortchanging the county $504,885 as part of a revenue sharing agreement.

On Feb. 28, The Carltun's president Anthony Capetola, a Williston Park attorney, signed a settlement agreement with Republican County Attorney John Ciampoli reducing the amount owed to $381,456. The settlement also provided The Carltun with $550,000 in county funds to purchase a new generator for the facility, citing blackouts and service interruptions in power provided by the county at the event hall.

Weitzman questioned why the settlement did not come before the legislature for a vote as required for all settlements above $100,000. He criticized Maragos for not conducting a follow-up audit on the site since 2009.

Capetola hosted a Sept. 16 fundraiser for Maragos.

Maragos spokesman Jostyn Hernandez said the settlement had nothing to do with the comptroller's office because it was handled by Ciampoli.

"From our end we followed up to make sure the [2009] audit was correct and made the sure county attorney was aware of the findings," Hernandez said.

In a statement Abrahams said he found no record that the legislature ever approved the settlement and called "for a full investigation of whether this unapproved settlement was legal and appropriate."

Neither Ciampoli or Capetola returned calls seeking comment.