Election board gets complaint on Islip GOP leader's eligibility

A Holbrook woman has filed a complaint with the Suffolk Board of Elections, questioning the legality of Frank Tantone’s role as Islip Republican chairman.

Elizabeth Caldwell claims Tantone cannot be leader because party rules require that the chairman must be a duly elected committee member. She said Tantone recently moved to Bayport and now lives outside the Assembly district where he served as a committeeman. Tantone did not return a call for comment.

Nick Lalota, who is Suffolk’s Republican elections commissioner, acknowledged receiving Caldwell’s complaint letter, but indicated the issue of whether the board even has jurisdiction to act on the matter is under legal review.