Southampton councilman cleared of wrongdoing

Southampton Councilman James Malone has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident involving a contractor, according to the town's police chief, William Wilson.

The investigation stemmed from a dispute in which building contractor Anthony Prosano said he was hired by Malone to renovate the inside of a Hampton Bays house owned by Malone but was taken off the job and not paid for work done to that point.

At one point, Prosano alleged that Malone kept him in the official's county office against his will.

Chief Wilson said his office conducted an investigation, and found that "it wasn't criminal conduct." The Southampton Police Department also alerted the district attorney to the town's investigation, and Wilson said they "concurred with our conclusion."

Malone said he was not surprised since there was no criminality.

Prosano said he started the job in early November, and that insulation he had installed passed inspection later that month. The contractor and a co-worker worked 55 hours over the next three days to put up 80 boards of drywall in the 850-square-foot home on Anderson Avenue, according to Prosano.