Second GOP town chair in 4 months fired at Suffolk board

The second Suffolk Republican town chairman in four months has been fired from the Suffolk Board of Elections.

Tom Knobel, 60, the East Hampton Town Republican chairman, was terminated as a $78,453-a-year elections forms processor after 16 years working at the board in Yaphank.

Nicholas LaLota, the Republican elections commissioner, declined to comment on the reasons for the firing, sayng only it was “a personnel matter.”

John Jay LaValle, Suffolk Republican chairman, did not return calls for comment Friday and several other town leaders said they were unaware of the move and it had not been discussed at a recent leaders’ meeting.

Knobel joins Smithtown Republican chairman Bill Ellis, who was fired as a $120,400 a year deputy commissioner, and $105,00 a year assistant deputy commissioner Michael Torres, secretary of the Suffolk Conservative Committee. Both were fired in October after the minor party made a judicial cross-endorsement deal with Democrats.