Gilgo update for $150 a plate?

Daily Point

Will Tierney go to Southampton fundraiser for GOP legislative candidate?

The Gilgo Beach murders and the upcoming trial of accused serial killer Rex Heuermann are on the minds of many Long Islanders, apparently even those attending political fundraisers.

For weeks, a $150-a-plate event for Manny Vilar, the GOP candidate for Suffolk Legislature, has promised a “Special Law Enforcement Update From the Suffolk County DA’s Office.”

According to Vilar’s campaign site on Facebook, Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney will attend the Aug. 23 fundraiser. And according to a posting by Campaign Strategy & Consulting, a Smithtown firm overseeing Vilar’s campaign and promoting the event, the presentation will provide “an update on the Long Island Serial Killer by the District Attorney’s office. Can’t wait for this one.”

However, when The Point called about this fundraiser, Tierney’s office disavowed any promised Gilgo update by the DA at this Vilar event.

“We’ve asked them to remove that,” said Allen Bode, Chief Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk DA’s office, about the social media post promoting a DA presentation.

Bode said Tierney would never capitalize on the grisly Gilgo murders by appearing at any outside fundraiser. Bode said he wasn’t sure if Tierney will attend Vilar’s Aug. 23 event, which will feature GOP Suffolk County Executive candidate Edward P. Romaine and other local Republican bigwigs.

Contacted by The Point, Vilar said he hasn’t been in touch with Tierney about the fundraising promotion, but recently decided on his own to pull mention of the DA from the social media promotion of his fundraiser. However, as of Wednesday, all of Vilar’s Facebook postings were still online promoting a DA presentation at the Aug. 23 event.

Vilar said his campaign did nothing improper, but can understand why the public might get the wrong impression about tying the Gilgo publicity to his fundraiser. Vilar, who is running against Democrat Ann Welker for Suffolk’s Second Legislative District seat, had nothing but praise for the District Attorney.

“Ray Tierney has been a very accessible DA and he goes to many community events,” Vilar said. Vilar’s Aug. 23 event will be held at Captain Jack’s On The Coast in Southampton.

Soon after the July arrest, Tierney’s own campaign committee — “Ray Tierney for DA” — sent out an email to supporters touting his Gilgo work. The July email from Tierney’s campaign committee did not contain an overt funding pitch. “Your support led directly to solving these serial killings,” Tierney said in the email. “Without your support, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and this significant case would likely not have been solved. Thank you again for your help and expect more good things to come.”

Bode said Tierney is careful to follow professional ethical guidelines for prosecutors and avoid any appearance of impropriety in his public appearances.

— Thomas Maier thomas.maier@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Speechless

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Final Point

Cairo headed to GOP presidential debate

Donald Trump hasn’t made his travel plans yet for the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee later this month, but Nassau GOP chairman Joe Cairo has his flights booked.

Cairo, in his first year as a member of the Republican National Committee, is attending the debate as well as other party business meetings and social events for the RNC’s 168 voting members. For Cairo and many RNC members, as well as viewers, the debate will be the first chance to take an in-depth look at the large field that has been overshadowed by the former president.

So far seven of those seeking the nomination have qualified to be on the stage: Doug Burgum, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Tim Scott and Vivek Ramaswamy.

“It will be a small crowd, I am anticipating we will get the chance to meet some of them,” said Cairo who said he has only met Trump and DeSantis.

Despite pleas from Fox News executives to Trump to participate, he has given contradictory answers on whether he will show up on Aug. 23. Cairo, for one, wants to see Trump at the debate.
“I think he should come, let’s hear from him. I would look forward to seeing him there,” Cairo told The Point.

It will be Cairo’s second trip to Milwaukee, having visited in 2007 to see the Brewers play the Mets on a baseball stadium road trip with his family and that of the late Joe Ra, the former Hempstead town attorney and councilman. And a Brewers-Braves game is on Cairo’s RNC schedule for the night before the debate.

Cairo will have a lot more opportunities for baseball and politics and perhaps, even more intense political fireworks, when he returns to Milwaukee which is also hosting the Republican nominating convention in July 2024.

— Rita Ciolli rita.ciolli@newsday.com