The Point: Post-Election Day fundraising
Then-Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini during a debate with Rebulican candidate Ray Tierney in Hauppauge on Oct. 7, 2021. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Tim Sini’s reelection bid for Suffolk DA is over, but fundraising for it does not appear to be.
In a Tuesday email to supporters, Sini ally and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced a Jan. 31 event at the Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown with all proceeds going to Tim Sini for DA "to aid the committee in outstanding obligations."
Sponsorship levels are set to range from $100 for an individual ticket, up to an eye-popping $10,000 to be an event chair.
Sini’s bid for another term as DA was foiled by Ray Tierney, but Bellone cited his former deputy county executive and police commissioner’s "years of public service" and "incredible work for Suffolk County" to encourage generosity from donors.
Sini did not respond to The Point’s questions about the event, including the level of campaign debt he may be carrying. New campaign finance filings posted Tuesday did not include a notation of unpaid bills, though the filings did show a negative end-of-period balance as well as big recent payments of tens of thousands of dollars for TV ads and other services. The expensive campaign saw Sini raising and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars overall.
The fundraiser invitation does not hint at what may be next for Sini or Sini’s campaign account, beyond praising his time in office: "The lives he has saved, the wrongful prisoners he has freed, and the communities he has served will leave a lasting impact for years to come."
Mark Chiusano is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
