Spouse of Levy's jail-project critic on Suffolk layoff list

Among those on Suffolk Executive Steve Levy's layoff list is Linda O’Donohoe, wife of Michael O’Donohoe, a judicial facilities authority chairman who had questioned whether the administration has given the authority all records on the ongoing jail project which it is financing.

Linda O’Donohoe, a $79,170 a year special assistant to social services commissioner Gregory Blass, got her layoff notice last week at the same time as 700 other county workers who might lose their jobs or be demoted under Levy’s proposed budget. Linda O’Donohoe, who has been a county employee since 1994, declined to comment.

Her husband, who once served on the county legislature with Levy when the county executive was a Democrat, said, “Obviously, this is a shot at her to get to me.”

“I can’t sit back because I have a fiduciary responsibility,” he said. “Levy got his nose out of joint and he can’t take criticism very well.”

Mark Smith, Levy’s spokesman, said there was no retribution involved.

“I think a so-called conservative like Mike would understand the need to trim the size of government in these times,” said Smith. “There are over 700 layoffs in the budget and everyone on the list is likely to believe that they should get an exemption."