New York 4th Congressional District Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R–Island Park) has come under scrutiny by his Democratic challenger after the Daily News reported he was investigated for police misconduct while serving in the NYPD.
“During his time in the NYPD, on the Hempstead Town Council, and now in Congress, Anthony D’Esposito has shown a pattern of corruption, dishonesty and incompetence and exposed his extremism along the way,” said Democrat Laura Gillen, who is running against D’Esposito, in a press release. “Long Island families deserve better.”
D’Esposito, a Republican who flipped the long-held Democratic congressional seat in 2022 and defeated Gillen, was investigated for multiple accusations of police conduct, according to the Daily News.
“Unsubstantiated claims often parroted by anti-police progressives cannot deny the fact that Congressman D’Esposito served with distinction as a decorated NYPD Detective, and now continues his fight for safe streets here in New York as a member of the House Homeland Security Committee,” D’Esposito campaign spokesman Matthew Capp wrote in a statement. “Instead of working to reverse the deteriorating public safety situation in New York ushered in by Democrats’ disastrous bail reform legislation, anti-police activists choose to weaponize a flawed NYPD complaint process in a failing attempt to tarnish the reputation of law enforcement professionals like Congressman D’Esposito who work tirelessly to eradicate violence from local communities.”
These reports included an incident in which an individual accused the then-detective of seizing and not returning a white gold chain during a 2011 arrest.
This case, which was filed as a corruption case, was partially substantiated, according to the News.
The the newspaper reported that no consequences for the findings were found in their investigation.
Another complaint came when the congressman was moonlighting as a bartender in 2007, which the Daily News previously reported on. While on the job, D’Esposito was also alleged to have waved his gun around and been reckless, according to the Daily News.
This incident was also reported as police misconduct to the Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and evidence was found that partially substantiated the claim. Records list the disposition of this case as unsubstantiated, even though, according to the Daily News. D’Esposito had 15 vacation days removed for this incident.
D’Esposito was also accused of drunk driving and “disgracing the uniform,” but the Daily News reported that these reports were unsubstantiated – meaning the evidence was not strong enough to support the claims.
Last year, a 2013 lawsuit filed against D’Esposito and New York City was settled with the city paying out $250,000. The suit alleged that D’Esposito had lied to a grand jury and former Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. in 2011.
This was among two other lawsuits against the former cop and his NYPD colleagues which the city ultimately settled.
“Anthony D’Esposito’s shady record runs deep from his misconduct to his corruption as a Hempstead Town Councilman,” House Majority PAC Press Secretary Alisha Heng said. “D’Esposito’s lack of morals and his multitude of ethical problems make him unfit to represent the everyday Americans in NY-04 who will vote him out in November.”
D’Esposito will face off against Gillen in the general election in November for New York’s 4th Congressional District.
