Suffolk Conservatives move to oust Frank Profeta, Brookhaven co-chair

Suffolk Conservatives held a hearing last week to remove Brookhaven co-chairman Frank Profeta from the party, alleging that he used $2,600 in party funds for a mailing backing Republican District Court candidate Tara Scully when she was not the party’s candidate.

A seven-member panel held the three-hour hearing in which Profeta was represented by his co-leader Kenneth Auerbach and former town party chair Richard Johannesen.

Auerbach called the hearing “incompetent” and “ridiculous” and grounds for a defamation lawsuit, because Profeta twice got approval for the expense from the town party’s executive committee.

Profeta’s mailing said the party’s other leaders sold out its Conservative principles for patronage by backing Democrat Stephen Ukeiley.

Suffolk Democrats supported Howard Heckman, the father-in-law of the Suffolk Conservative Committee’s secretary, for state Supreme Court judge.

The panel is expected to make a recommendation on the ouster in the coming week. Suffolk Conservative chairman Edward Walsh has to seek a court order to remove Profeta from the party on county election rolls because he has not adhered to party principles.

— Rick Brand