GOP lawyer seeks documents on canceled treasurer election

Lawyers from the Nassau firm of Republican election law expert Peter Bee have sought documents from the Suiffolk board of elections over the treasurer's election, which is now not to be.

Bee declined to comment on the request, but there's speculation about a legal challenge from GOP treasurer contender Irene D'Abramo, an election worker who had formed a campaign fund and has held a fundraiser event and has another one planned.

John Jay LaValle, Suffolk Republican chairman, acknowledged that Bee's firm is looking at the issue for D'Abramo to see if correct legal procedures were followed, but he was doubtful a legal challenge would emerge.

Republican lawmakers had sought and County Executive Steve Bellone later backed a measure passed in June, expediting the merger of the treasurer with comptroller's office to Jan. 1, 2016. That move did away with a truncated unexpired two-year term that had been left by Angie Carpenter when she left to become Islip town supervisor earlier this year.

Bee, however, was the attorney who handled Carpenter's successful legal challenge which blocked an earlier county law calling for a referednum on the merger two years ago. A revised merger referendum bill that would have let Carpenter serve until her term ran out in 2018 was appproved last year.