By Thomas Montana
Republican District Attorney Anne Donnelly lit into her Democratic opponent Nicole Aloise for encouraging people with criminal records to apply for a position with her campaign.
According to The New York Post, Aloise’s campaign posted a job opening for Communications Director on indeed.com. The posting states, “People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply.”
“The District Attorney is responsible for safeguarding confidential information, ensuring justice, and holding criminals accountable — not inviting them into the heart of a campaign for Nassau County’s top law enforcement post,” said Donnelly in an interview with the Post. “Only someone deeply out of touch would prioritize hiring convicted criminals over qualified, law-abiding citizens for such a sensitive role.”
Donnelly continued to question the move by Aloise and her campaign, calling it a “misstep” and “reckless.”
In response, Aloise’s campaign spokesperson Ellen McCormick pointed to Aloise’s 16 years as a prosecutor, getting dangerous criminals off the streets and keeping communities safe.
“This story is a cheap shot by the Donnelly campaign to distract from the fact that Nicole’s outraised her by almost $100,000 and that law enforcement unions choose Nicole over the sitting DA,” McCormick said. According to Aloise’s campaign website, she has received endorsements from the New York State Troopers PoliceBenevolent Association and the New York State Supreme Court Officers Association.
“Maybe instead of focusing on this distraction, Donnelly should be working on getting crime under control and retaining her own staff,” McCormick said. “Crime in Nassau is up 44% on her watch while she’s lost more than 90 experienced and dedicated prosecutors due to her failed leadership.”
Joseph G. Cairo Jr., chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee, spoke in defense of Donnelly, saying the District Attorney received strong financial support for opposing Governor Kathy Hochul’s cashless bail law.
“Indeed, Donnelly has fought to reverse the governor’s cashless bail law, which has set free killers, and she strongly opposed Hochul’s early release of prisoners, which was the Governor’s response to a prison guard staffing shortage,” Cairo said. “Sadly, Nicole Aloise Frankenstein stood silent on these and other important safety issues.”
Cairo said Aloise was “the hand-picked choice of New York City Democrat extremists who have given us a soft-on-crime agenda that has set free rapists and rendered virtually every drug crime ineligible for bail.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to Donnelly’s campaign about Aloise’s job posting.
“While it’s absolutely beyond the pale to actively recruit and encourage convicted criminals to join the campaign staff for Nassau’s top law enforcement job, it’s sadly no surprise coming from Nicole Aloise,” said a Donnelly campaign spokesperson. “Aloise led one of the most extreme, pro-criminal DAs offices in New York City — an office that championed cashless bail laws that let violent offenders walk free, sent convicted criminals to art classes instead of jail, and dropped felony charges to meet political quotas.”