The Suffolk County
Democratic Committee:
A Record of Corruption
For decades, the Suffolk County Democratic Committee has operated not as a vehicle for democratic participation, but as a political machine — trading judgeships for patronage, protecting convicted criminals, mismanaging public funds, and cutting backroom deals with the very Republicans it claims to oppose. This is the documented record.
EDITORIAL NOTE: All claims on this page are sourced from court records, federal indictments, official government audits, and reporting by credible news organizations including the New York Times, Newsday, the New York Post, and the U.S. Department of Justice. Sources are linked inline. This site presents documented facts and does not make unsubstantiated allegations.
A Machine Built on Patronage and Impunity
The Suffolk County Democratic Committee is the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Suffolk County, New York. Under the 25-year chairmanship of Richard H. Schaffer — who simultaneously serves as Babylon Town Supervisor — the committee has functioned less as a democratic institution than as a patronage machine.
The machine's most catastrophic product was the Spota-Burke criminal enterprise. District Attorney Thomas Spota and Police Chief James Burke, both products of the Democratic political apparatus, were convicted of federal crimes including obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and civil rights violations. County Executive Steve Bellone — who appointed Burke despite explicit warnings — presided over a police department that conducted illegal surveillance of its own officers and a financial administration that turned opioid settlement funds into a political slush fund.
Meanwhile, Schaffer has maintained power through a system of cross-endorsement deals with Conservative and Independence party bosses — some of them convicted criminals — that predetermined judicial selections and denied voters meaningful choices. When challenged, the machine has responded with the tools of incumbency: controlled committee votes, patronage appointments, and the deliberate suppression of competitive primaries.
The Scandals
Click each case to expand the full documented record.
Rogues Gallery
Documented cases of fraud, corruption, and abuse of power. Click any file to expand.
Thomas J. Spota
Suffolk County District Attorney (2002–2017)
Federal conviction for obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and civil rights violations. Sentenced to 5 years in federal prison.
Christopher McPartland
Chief of Government Corruption Bureau, Suffolk DA's Office
Convicted alongside Spota for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and civil rights violations. Sentenced to 5 years in federal prison.
James Burke
Suffolk County Police Chief (2012–2015)
Convicted of assaulting a handcuffed prisoner and orchestrating a cover-up. Sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
Steve Bellone
Suffolk County Executive (2012–2023), Democrat
Appointed Burke as police chief despite warnings; negotiated ruinous PBA contracts; presided over misuse of $105M opioid settlement fund. Audit found his administration's post-employment conduct raised serious conflict-of-interest concerns.
Ryan Attard
Chief of Staff to County Executive Bellone
Fined $2,000 by the Suffolk County Ethics Board for applying for a job at a nonprofit while still serving on the committee that awarded that nonprofit's grant applications.
Richard H. Schaffer
Suffolk County Democratic Committee Chairman (2000–present); Babylon Town Supervisor
Has simultaneously collected three public paychecks; donated Democratic Party funds to the Conservative Party; cut deals with Republicans to surrender winnable legislative seats; orchestrated backroom judicial cross-endorsement deals that Newsday's editorial board called 'a mockery of judicial selection.'
Stephen J. Baranello
Top Campaign Adviser, Suffolk County Democratic Party
Pleaded guilty to two felony bribery charges in 2004. Son of longtime Suffolk Democratic boss Dominic Baranello.
Edward Walsh
Chairman, Suffolk County Conservative Party (key Democratic judicial deal partner)
Convicted of wire fraud and theft of government services. A central figure in the cross-endorsement judicial deals brokered with the Suffolk County Democratic Party.
"This was never supposed to be a political slush fund — this money was meant to save lives."
Timeline of Corruption
Richard Schaffer becomes Suffolk County Democratic Committee Chairman, succeeding Dominic Baranello.
Stephen J. Baranello, top Democratic campaign adviser, pleads guilty to two felony bribery charges.
DA Spota forces County Executive Steve Levy out of office by threatening a fundraising investigation unless Levy does not seek re-election.
County Executive Bellone appoints James Burke as police chief despite multiple warnings. Burke begins a 'reign of terror' in the SCPD.
Burke beats handcuffed prisoner Christopher Loeb. Spota and McPartland orchestrate a cover-up involving multiple police officers.
Burke resigns as federal probe reopens. Bellone declines to defend county in Spota's term-limits lawsuit, allowing Spota to win another term.
Burke sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. Conservative Party boss Edward Walsh convicted of wire fraud and theft of government services.
Sources report Schaffer cuts deal with GOP to allow Republicans to keep a state Senate seat. Spota indicted on federal charges.
Newsday editorial board calls Suffolk Democratic judicial cross-endorsement deals 'a mockery of judicial selection.' Schaffer's nine-judge deal collapses when Tara Scully petitions onto the ballot.
Spota and McPartland convicted on all counts: conspiracy, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and civil rights violations.
Spota and McPartland begin serving 5-year federal prison sentences. Trial documents reveal the full scope of the Spota-Burke-Bellone political machine.
Suffolk County Comptroller's audit finds the Bellone administration's $105M opioid settlement fund operated behind closed doors, violated Open Meetings Law, and that Bellone and his chief of staff took jobs at organizations receiving $6M in grants.
Former Bellone Chief of Staff Ryan Attard fined $2,000 by the Ethics Board for conflict of interest in the opioid fund grant process.
Kathryn Casey Quigley challenges Schaffer for party chair, citing his dual role, contributions to the Conservative Party, and failure to build the party.
Primary Sources
All claims on this site are sourced from the following credible publications and official records.
Official press releases on Spota and McPartland convictions
Baranello bribery plea (2004); Suffolk County corruption history
Suffolk Democrats play politics with judgeships (2018)
Backroom deals for judgeships insult voters (2018)
Top official in Long Island town gets 3 hefty paychecks (2018)
Ethics fine for ex-Suffolk aide tied to opioid fund (2025)
Ex-Suffolk aide fined in ethics violations case (2025)
Spota trial documents reveal county politics at their sordid worst (2021)
Surrogate judge primary conceals a scandal (2018)
Audit reveals flaws in Suffolk's opioid settlement fund (2025)
4 Suffolk officials accused of forging signatures for election petitions (2018)
Kathryn Casey Quigley announces campaign for Suffolk County Democratic Committee chair (2026)
Comprehensive corruption reporting on SCPD and DA's office
The fix is in: Party bosses, not voters, decide (2017)