Letters

Southampton Village residents and stakeholders should be dismayed by the trustees’ termination of the village ethics attorney [“Southampton Village Board Debates Lifelong Benefits for Trustees and Mayors; Board Votes, 4-1, To Remove Attorney From Ethics Board Post,” 27east.com, April 26]. This action shows that the four village trustees — Bill Manger, Gina Arresta, Roy Stevenson and Robin Brown — have weaponized the Ethics Board. The village also should be concerned that this was likely done at the request of the trustees’ deep-pocketed financial backers.

The Southampton Village ethics attorney had a prestigious background, served as ethics counsel for multiple municipalities across Long Island, and also is a professor on ethics and corporate responsibility. He was appointed by Mayor Michael Irving and reappointed by Mayor Jesse Warren.

The problem was that this ethics attorney did not fit the trustees’ agenda, which specifically focused on trumping up false ethics charges against the mayor. Even more concerning was that the wife of one of the trustees’ campaign workers, Dane Neller, was the one pushing these charges. It was Dane Neller who had encouraged the trustees at a public meeting to terminate the ethics attorney and likely did so on behalf of his wife. It is also important to note that one of Dane Neller’s close friends is the father of Miranda Weber. Connect the dots.

Now the Ethics Board does not have an attorney, and the village attorney is likely conflicted on almost all matters, leaving a void in legal counsel for the Ethics Board, which by law is entitled to counsel. Manger, Brown, Stevenson and Arresta have weaponized the Ethics Board for their own personal and political gain.

No one should be surprised, however. Manger served two tours in Washington, D.C., and sadly has brought his brand of caustic and divisive D.C. politics to our lovely and charming village.

Jose Reyes

Southampton Village