“Mr. Bellone’s new campaign commercial would be comical if it weren’t so sad. The two-and-a-half-minute production presents a rosy picture of Steve Bellone as a corruption-busting public servant, but makes no mention of the numerous scandals involving his administration, including those involving his former chief of police, the former assistant DA in charge of Suffolk’s Government Corruption Bureau and the head of the IT department.

“Even more shameful is that he makes no mention of the fiscal calamity he has created in Suffolk County. During his nearly eight years in office, Suffolk County taxpayers have faced the brunt of his fiscal mismanagement, with $200 million in tax and fee increases, a 22.4% property tax increase, a bloated budget of over $3 billion, including over $1 billion in payroll, $2 billion in debt, seven bond downgrades, seven fiscal emergencies, and nearly 17,000 fewer county residents.

“If Mr. Bellone were serious about addressing corruption in Suffolk County, he’d start by addressing the serious fiscal crisis we are facing, rather than shoveling taxpayers a line of B.S. If you want to learn the truth about Steve Bellone’s record, visit ShovelingSteve.com.”