Suffolk County Legislator Rudy Sunderman (3rd LD) will resign from the Legislature to pursue his career at the Suffolk County Fire Academy.
Legislator Sunderman (R) won election in 2017 filling the seat of Kate Browning who was term-limited out of office.
Mr. Sunderman was indicted in 2019 and is facing charges for allegedly lying to the
Suffolk County Legislator Rudy Sunderman Suffolk County Board of Ethics about working for the Centereach Fire Department.
ABC News in 2019 reported:
“On December 6, 2017, Sunderman received an opinion from the Suffolk County Board of Ethics that continuing to serve in these roles while serving as a legislator would constitute a violation of the Suffolk County Code’s prohibition on dual office-holding. Sunderman resigned from his position with the Center Moriches Fire District.
Sunderman is alleged to have attempted to circumvent that ruling by creating a shell company in his wife’s name, Now That’s Fire Management, Inc., and arranging for the Centereach Board of Fire Commissioners to hire him through that company for $10,000 per month.
Between January 2, 2018, and June 30, 2018, despite the Board of Ethics’ determination, Sunderman allegedly continued to perform the duties of a district manager for the Centereach Fire District, including personally signing over 600 vouchers and other official documents as district manager for the Centereach Fire District.
Vouchers and purchase orders that Sunderman signed as “DM” or “District Manager” included those that authorized $60,000 in payments to Now That’s Fire Management, which authorities say is a violation of state municipal law regarding conflicts of interest.
“Mr. Sunderman was personally put on notice: the Ethics Board told him specifically not to engage in this employment,” Sini said. “Not only did he continue his work with the Centereach Fire District, but, while doing so, he personally authorized $60,000 in payments to the shell corporation that he had created in his wife’s name.”
Following receipt of a complaint, the Suffolk County Board of Ethics began an investigation into Sunderman’s employment with the Centereach Fire District. On October 29, 2018, during a deposition in connection with the investigation, Sunderman allegedly perjured himself on numerous occasions, including denying that he received any income from his continued work for the Centereach Fire District.
Bank records obtained by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office showed that Sunderman was a signatory on Now That’s Fire Management’s corporate bank account, that the account was used for Sunderman’s personal expenses, and that Sunderman had personally engaged in over 100 transactions and spent thousands of dollars using a debit card issued to him on that bank account.
Sunderman also allegedly denied under oath managing fire district staff members after January 2018. Evidence developed over the course of the investigation showed that Sunderman continued to manage employees and represent himself as “District Manager” until he resigned from the position in June 2018, after the Board of Ethics began to investigate his conduct.
On April 23, 2019, Sunderman allegedly intentionally failed to disclose his outside employment and income as well as his wife’s income from the Centereach Fire Department on a financial disclosure form filed with the Suffolk County Board of Ethics for the 2018 reporting year.”
Rudy Sunderman won reelection in 2019.
Suffolk County Republican Chairperson Jesse Garcia issued a statement wishing Sunderman well in his new position and offered some assurance to the committee “Rest assured, the Brookhaven and Suffolk County Republican Committees are well prepared to retain this important seat.”
There will be a special election to fill the vacancy.