Suffolk Reporter

A brewing controversy on Long Island remains ongoing, after the South Shore Press accused the Suffolk County Legislature of improperly voting to nullify a six-figure contract with it to provide the County’s legal advertising–and instead, redirecting that contract and the hundreds of thousands of dollars that came with it to a competing newspaper, owned by a prominent contributor to the local Republican Party.

Stefan Mychajliw, News Director for the South Shore Press, spoke publicly at a July 30 meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature and said his publication had “heard through the political grapevine” that the governing body was considering an emergency resolution to rescind a legal advertising contract with his publication, and instead give the contract to the Smithtown Messenger, a competitor publication owned by Ronkonkoma-based insurance executive, Jim Cotgreave.

Cotgreave, in addition to his role as the president of an insurance agency which bears his name, also serves as the vice-chair of the Smithtown Republican Party and has contributed to the political campaigns of current members of the Suffolk County Legislature.

Mychajliw, a former Erie County Comptroller and former investigative reporter for NBC and ABC affiliates, asked the governing body to table their vote and denied that the matter had anything to do with pending litigation between the South Shore Press and one of its former employees, calling such speculation “demonstrably false.”

Mychajliw added the South Shore Press had already spent significant resources preparing to publish legal notices, and no one bothered to inform the newspaper of the county’s planned action.

Six weeks of legal ad inserts had been proofed and approved for publication by a county official beginning July 31, according to Mychajliw. He said the South Shore Press had previously been designated by the County Legislature to serve as newspaper of record for all of 2024.

But at the July 30 meeting, on the eve of the legal advertising contract with the South Shore Press going into effect, County legislators bypassed the minimum four-day requirement for introducing proposals before votes can be cast, by invoking a “certificate of necessity.”

The emergency resolution introduced by deputy presiding officer Steven Flotteron passed unanimously 15-0, with three legislators absent.

“Before the vote, an elected official shared with [South Shore Press] staff that this vote was ordered by political party bosses, that their ‘hands were tied.’ Following the vote, numerous elected officials approached staff and apologized for the vote, telling our publication privately that they had no choice, that it was ordered by a Suffolk County GOP political party official,” Mychajliw said.

All 15 county legislators who supported the resolution were contacted for comment explaining their decision and why it was passed under a certificate of necessity, but none have responded.

In addition to members of the Suffolk County Legislature, Suffolk Reporter also contacted Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman Jesse Garcia and Suffolk County Clerk of the Legislature Frank Tassone for comment on this matter, but those individuals did not return messages.

A message to the editor of the Smithtown Messenger also went unreturned.

But Cotgreave did respond to questions from Suffolk Reporter on the topic of his business, Cotgreave Insurance Agency, and if it had any connection to Suffolk County government or if he had any additional knowledge of the recent happenings between the Suffolk County Legislature and the South Shore Press.

“Regarding [my] insurance agency, I don’t have any relationship or contract with the county or any other municipalities. My agency insures homes, autos and small businesses. As for the newspaper, I’m not involved in the operations. You’d have to speak to the publisher if you have questions,” Cotgreave said.

“As far as the switch of the legals, I’ve heard through the grapevine there is a legal dispute to the ownership of the South Shore Press and whether or not they can legally fulfill their duties. But you’d have to speak to Mr. [John] Thaler or Mr. [Fred] Towle on that. I don’t really know enough to speak intelligently on the matter.”

Mychajliw suggested a criminal investigation or potential litigation could follow.

“A reasonable person could infer this last minute, secret deal should be referred to the New York State Attorney General’s Office for criminal investigation. I’ll leave it up to Letitia James to decide whether or not this warrants further criminal scrutiny. Based on my decades of professional experience investigating criminal activity, do I believe the actions of the Suffolk County Legislature and Suffolk County Executive rise to the level of criminal behavior? A criminal investigation or potential litigation where individuals would have to testify under oath could determine that,” Mychajliw said.

“In the meantime, you know the old saying: ‘If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.’ Sunshine is the best disinfectant. The Legislature and [Suffolk County Executive Ed] Romaine acted in complete darkness. There are no secrets in politics. The truth will come out.”

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series of investigative reports on Suffolk County legal advertising and the politics involved. The first appeared in Legal Newsline.