Spin cycle: Legislative aide fired in ethics case

Suffolk County Attorney Christine Malafi fired a $69,700 legislative liaison for violating confidentiality rules by revealing information about late financial disclosure forms to a lawmaker.

According to Malafi, Democrat Kirk Cronk admitted overhearing the ethics commission's director and secretary discuss late filings, and passed that on to a county legislator.

The firing comes after Legis. DuWayne Gregory (D-Amityville) said in a sworn statement a county employee told him County Executive Steve Levy knew of late filings by him and another lawmaker - and would "make examples" of them.

Malafi said Cronk denied mentioning Levy to the legislator and that the county executive said he hasn't talked to Cronk in 2010. Gregory said Friday he's willing "to take a polygraph test about the truth of my statements" if Levy will take a lie-detector test to prove what he says.

Cronk, a veteran party operative, was rehired three days later, on Sept. 27, as assistant Board of Elections clerk at $42,230 annually. He declined to comment.

- Rick Brand

and Sandra Peddie