New Legislator Claims He's Starting Term With Nearly Empty Office

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Anthony Piccirillo, who was newly elected to the Suffolk County Legislature, is claiming that he arrived to begin his term and discovered a nearly empty office and 37 years of constituent files missing.

Piccirillo was elected to represent the 8th Legislative District, beating incumbent Bill Lindsay in the Nov. 5 election. The district covers Bayport-Blue-Point, Holbrook, Holtsville, Sayville, West Sayville, Oakdale and parts of Ronkonkoma, Bohemia and Medford.

However, Piccirillo says that on Dec. 31, when he was handed the keys to the district office on Grundy Avenue in Holbrook, he discovered that the six remaining filing cabinets were empty, along with the binders and folders that were labeled "constituents."

"I was shocked when I entered the building; to not leave one single piece of paper behind is a slap in the face to the hard-working constituents of the 8th Legislative District," Piccirillo said. "I immediately called the clerk and the former Presiding Officer Duwayne Gregory, and they informed me that neither of them were in custody of any physical files."

The only items found in the office, according to Piccirillo, were 46 plaques and awards from the community honoring the late former Presiding Officer Bill Lindsay Sr. and were located in odd places such as the microwave, attic and freezer. Piccirillo also said he found an envelope of undelivered homemade greeting cards from elementary school students addressed to veterans at the Northport VA Medical Center. He posted photos of the empty cabinets and plaques on his Facebook page.

All photos via Facebook.com/Anthony Piccirillo

In a statement, Lindsay, who worked as legislator for six years, is refuting Piccirillo's claims.

"When I was first elected, I chose to hire a professional staff to assist me in learning how to properly legislate," he said. "Unfortunately, Anthony Piccirillo chose to hire his personal acquaintances to run his office instead. We were never contacted by him or anyone representing him post Election Day. For the benefit of my constituents, I was fully prepared to assist with the transition, had he reached out. I’ve always conducted myself as a professional both prior to and during my time with the legislature. My attorney has issued a letter to Mr. Piccirillo warning him that if this slanderous behavior continues, I will have no choice but to move forward with legal action."

According to Piccirillo, the Suffolk County Legislature passed a law in 2018 stating that a member who is leaving office must "maintain and deliver to his successor documents and records relating to constituents who have requested assistance from the member’s office."

"I am hoping that former Legislator Lindsay or his staff did not destroy these files; I would like to have them returned to the District Office in Holbrook, where they belong," Piccirillo said. "I am concerned that pending constituent files that were in the office will go unresolved. I am urging all constituents, community groups and concerned citizens to contact my office immediately so I can start to build my files while I wait for the missing files to be returned."