Democrat-allied group alleges illegal campaign by D'Esposito

WASHINGTON — A coalition of groups that backs New York Democratic congressional candidates is alleging that former Long Island GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito is violating a law that bars federal workers from campaigning for partisan political office.

The group, Battleground New York, filed a formal complaint Tuesday with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel that relies in big part on public statements by D'Esposito, who is the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The complaint details that D’Esposito himself acknowledged that he’s been looking into a possible congressional run this fall during a Jan. 9 interview on the "Sid & Friends In The Morning" radio show on New York’s 77 WABC.

"There is no question that we’re exploring it," D’Esposito told the radio show host, Sid Rosenberg, about a potential bid for the Long Island House seat he lost in 2024 to Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre).

The complaint also contends that D'Esposito "engaged in political activity" for advocating during that interview for the election of Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman as governor and against Gillen's reelection.

"A sitting Inspector General may not undertake preliminary activity to further his candidacy for partisan office nor may he advocate for the success or failure of candidates for partisan political office while clothed with the authority of the federal government," the complaint states.

D'Esposito did not immediately respond to a call and a text.

That radio interview with Rosenberg took place just three days after D’Esposito was sworn in Jan. 6 as Labor's inspector general, an ethics watchdog job to which he was nominated by President Donald Trump.

The former congressman said during the same interview that Nassau County GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo "is doing the polling, we're making sure the information on the ground is, is the right information."

"Listen, I think all, everything is pointing in the right direction," D’Esposito says at one point.

Potential rematch

New York’s 4th Congressional District is located entirely in Nassau County. Another D’Esposito bid for the GOP nomination for the seat could lead to a third showdown with Gillen, whom he defeated in their initial 2022 contest.

Battleground New York is a so-called "super" political action committee that provides Democratic congressional candidates canvassing and other grassroots support, backed and funded by a coalition of labor union and advocacy groups.

D’Esposito has not said flatly whether he is or isn't running again for the seat. In the meantime, Nassau County GOP officials quietly printed someone else’s name on petitions as their designated choice to fill the ballot spot.

But as of Tuesday, there remained no candidacy papers filed yet with the Federal Election Commission by that person, John A. DeGrace, a former mayor of the Village of Valley Stream.

Democrats have suggested that the use of DeGrace’s name is a maneuver to give D’Esposito time to continue in his federal job before resigning, which he would have to do if he ran.

D’Esposito has only been in his federal job for a little more than two months. But his office has found itself leading an investigation into alleged travel fraud and other misconduct within the Labor Department. Those include some alleged actions by Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Ban on campaigning

Under the federal Hatch Act, federal workers in the executive branch — not counting the president and vice president — and some others are barred from campaigning for partisan public office while holding those jobs. Violations of the act can lead to severe penalties such as removal from a federal job and civil penalties and bans from federal employment for up to five years.

The complaint against D'Esposito was filed with the Office of Special Counsel, the independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency that enforces the Hatch Act.

 "This is corruption, plain and simple," Andrew Grossman, director of Battleground New York, alleged of D’Esposito’s remaining in his federal job while mulling a campaign. "Inspector General D'Esposito didn't just bend the rules — he walked into a radio studio three days after being sworn in and told the world he was running for Congress."

As recently as March 5, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Cal.) reminded D’Esposito during a Ways and Means subcommittee hearing that his inspector general position is an independent, nonpartisan office, prohibited from running for political office under the Hatch Act.

"I am well aware of the Hatch Act," responded D’Esposito at Chu’s admonition, while still declining to say whether he is running.