Lynbrook Village election stirs controversy

Fighting continues over last month’s Lynbrook village election even though incumbent Mayor Alan Beach defeated challenger, Deputy Mayor Hilary Becker, by more than a three-to-one margin.

The election set off a family feud between Becker and his brother Fran Becker, a former county legislator who supported Beach. The race also prompted political party infighting: While Beach ran as a member of the village’s New Vision Party and Becker formed the Preserve Lynbrook party to challenge him, both are registered Republicans.

Now, Freeport Village Attorney Howard Colton, a registered Democrat, has joined the fray by submitting a Freedom of Information request to the Lynbrook Village clerk. Colton wants copies of all ballots cast in the March 19 village election; copies of all tapes and receipts from voting machines; copies of all files that show a photographic image of each ballot cast; a listing of all people who voted in the election; and a listing of all employees who worked at the Greis Park Center polling place on Election Day.

Colton said in an interview that he submitted the request from his private Freeport law practice, not as attorney for Democrat-controlled Freeport Village.

“I have private clients. I have a private practice. One of my clients requested that I get information on the Lynbrook election,” Colton said.

He declined to identify his client, citing attorney-client privilege, or say why he was asking for the information. Asked if his client was Hilary Becker or Becker’s campaign he again demurred. “My client has asked to be anonymous,” he said. Hilary Becker did not return a call asking if he or his campaign had hired Colton.

Lynbrook Republican leader and former state Assemb. Brian Curran, who supported Beach, said he had "received correspondence during the campaign from Howard that said he was retained by Hilary and the Lynbrook Preserve Party."

Beach received 3,330 votes to Becker’s 974, the village reported.