DEC official on LI may have violated ethics rules

A top natural resources supervisor at the Department of Environmental Conservation's Long Island office may have violated state ethics guidelines when he arranged for members of a volunteer firefighting group to stay for free at homes in West Hampton Dunes while he oversaw wetlands permits in the region, an Inspector General's investigation found.

The report came in response to charges by West Hampton Dunes Village Mayor Gary Vegliante that the DEC supervisor, Charles Hamilton, retaliated against him when Vegliante withdrew use of his home for the group, the New York Wildfire and Incident Management Academy.

Hamilton is coordinator of the volunteer group, which holds annual training sessions through the DEC.

The Inspector General's report said it found no evidence that Hamilton acted in retaliation in failing to issue a tidal wetlands permit for a property the mayor was developing in West Hampton Dunes.

Vegliante, who alleges Hamilton's actions against him have cost him millions by holding up a property sale, said he intends to pursue the case "wherever I have to."

Hamilton, whose duties in reviewing tidal wetlands permits has since been rescinded by the DEC, "adamantly denied" the allegations during the state probe, according to the report.

The Inspector General forwarded a copy of the report to the state Commission on Public Integrity over the "apparent violation" of the Public Officer's law.

The law bars state employees from "creating the appearance of impropriety" by raising "suspicion among the public" that they were "likely to have been engaged in acts that were in violation" of public trust.

In August 2008, the DEC altered the structure and chain of command for its Tidal Wetlands Regulatory Program to "eliminate Hamilton's involvement in the program altogether," the report said.

DEC spokesman Bill Fonda said Hamilton would not comment on the case. Fonda said his own brief reading of the Inspector General's report was that it "found nothing conclusive" to suggest impropriety.

Vegliante called the report "a cover-up."

"I think I've been abused and I intend to take this wherever I have to," he said, including a lawsuit or to a higher government authority.

According to the Inspector General's report, Vegliante in 2005 approached Hamilton for his expertise on a construction project at a new home he bought in West Hampton Dunes.

At that meeting, the report says, Vegliante told Hamilton that, unlike their prior arrangement, Vegliante would not allow use of his new home by instructors of the Wildfire Academy during their training events.

"Hamilton's demeanor then changed drastically and their relationship soured," Vegliante told investigators.

Other village officials also made their homes available. The homes can rent for tens of thousands dollars a week.

Hamilton later failed to issue the tidal wetlands permit for a second Dune Road property on which Vegliante and a partner planned new construction.

Vegliante also alleged Hamilton persuaded the Town of Southampton to file a lawsuit disputing Vegliante's ownership of the second property, along with other regulatory actions against the village.