Old Westbury election prompts odd courtroom alliances
For a role reversal, GOP's John Ciampoli, above, is alongside Democrats' Steve Schlesinger in a village election case. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Politics have turned upside down in the Old Westbury village elections.
Longtime Democratic elections lawyer Steve Schlesinger is representing his brother-in-law Andrew Weinberg, a Republican incumbent village trustee, in a recount fight against Democratic insurgent candidate Leslie Fastenberg, who mounted a write-in campaign. Weinberg was ahead by four votes last week.
Schlesinger hired a longtime political opponent, Republican elections lawyer John Ciampoli, to be his co-counsel on the case. "After me, I consider him the second best elections lawyer in the state," Schlesinger said.
Now Fastenberg has hired the law firm of Peter Bee, longtime Nassau Republican elections lawyer and Ciampoli ally. "Steve, John and I have done battle with each other in so many cases over the years we've all become well-acquainted," Bee said. "But never would I have expected the line up to be John and Steve on one side and me on the other."
The battle continues in court next Wednesday.
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