In perhaps one of the most egregiously ironic demonstrations of recent leftist sabre rattling, Democratic legislators Debra Mule (yes, there is a joke in there I’m holding back on), Scott Davis, and the Free and Fair Litigation Group (biting my lip hard now) have filed a lawsuit in the Nassau County Supreme Court accusing County Executive Bruce Blakeman of illegally creating a tax-payer-funded militia, allegations that have the Long Island Republican’s office rolling their eyes in derision.
The lawsuit names Blakeman, Nassau County, and Sheriff Anthony LaRocco as defendants, alleging the creation of an illegal “militia” through the implementation last year of an emergency program designating civilian volunteers who have been trained and vetted through background checks as “special deputies.” If this sounds like a reserve program commonly used by Police and Sheriff’s Departments, well, that’s because it is.
Members of the Provisional Emergency Special Deputy Sheriffs program, established by Blakeman on March 17, 2024, are deputized volunteer citizens licensed to carry firearms and assist local law enforcement agencies to protect critical Nassau County infrastructure in the event of a natural disaster, terrorist attack, or any other emergency. An initial group of twenty-six citizens were sworn in on December 31, many of whom are retired from military, law enforcement, or other emergency services.
The lawsuit claims the program incurs expenses that amount to misappropriation of tax dollars, a hilarious notion coming from Democrats who have burned through our taxes to support and encourage illegal immigration, including $59 million from FEMA earlier this month to house migrants in luxury New York City hotels.
“New York State law does not authorize defendants to create a taxpayer-funded militia… Defendants’ militia is illegal and represents a substantial and ongoing waste of public funds,” according to the lawsuit.
The expenses Democrats are concerned with include background checks, random drug screenings, training, and a $150 daily stipend only when they are called to active duty. This is an interesting take, considering I have never heard a liberal complain about background checks, drug screenings, or special training when it comes to those who own or carry guns. And what of wages? With Democrats constantly pushing for a higher minimum wage, why the fuss over a stipend that amounts to $18.75 per hour for an eight-hour day in what is arguably among the most dangerous jobs in the community, especially during an emergency? The complaint also alleges that the program was meant to be established secretly and that Blakeman has refused to comply with Freedom of Information requests.
County Legislature Democratic minority leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton told reporters in April of 2024 that Jewish residents of Nassau County informed her Blakeman’s initiative was like Hitler’s paramilitary forces prior to World War II. Blakeman, who is Jewish, called the unfounded comparison offensive, demanding DeRiggi-Whitton’s resignation. He raised the issue again earlier this month.
“The antisemitic statements, denigrating these good citizens by labeling them as Nazi brownshirts, disqualify them for public service,” Blakeman said.
Blakeman’s office stated the lawsuit further slanders the generosity of the volunteers and referred to the complaint as needless and shameful.
“Debra Mule and Scott Davis are a disgrace for bringing this frivolous action and defaming the volunteers, many of whom are retired military and law enforcement, who have agreed to pitch in in the event of an emergency,” a rep for Blakeman told The Post.
Indeed, these leftists are referring to what is commonly known as “reserves” by the National Police Association as Nazis, a catch-all term repurposed by liberals which now describes anyone they disagree with or don’t like rather than referring to the genocidal National Socialist German Workers’ Party that ruled over Germany during World War II and was responsible for the murder of six million Jews. This is disgusting behavior. Further, to allege that somehow a reserve force is a waste of tax dollars in light of illegal migrant expenditures, providing gender reassignment surgery to incarcerated criminals, and handing out hypodermic needles to drug users would be laughable if I didn’t just throw up a little in my own mouth.
The libertarians liberals and the left hate the police. Even part time reserve cops. But they will cheer when you are arrested protecting your private property. And they will say nothing. When the police kill or wound someone. Trying to steal or vandalize government property.
Yeah people just hate cops for no reason lol.
Duncan Lemp died as a result of a no-knock raid, and was shot in bed next to his pregnant girlfriend, all because of an ERPO.
You sure do love to ride the dick of authority when it’s going after people you don’t like. Go ahead of find an excuse for that, I’m sure it will be something.
Likely some yammering on about how weed is worse than meth or some unhinged rant about how libertarians and communists are the exact same thing despite knowing nothing about it.
Fair weather freedom fighters may as well not pretend to give a damn about everyone’s rights, you clearly want the ability to draw the line where you want, for other people.
“Likely some yammering on about how weed is worse than meth”
You should look into the hospitalization numbers for pot users. And the addiction numbers. They are huge. Also, the number of burglary suspects intoxicated on ma:ri;jua,na when they committed their crimes. The THC levels in 21st century marijuana, are 1000 times more higher. Than in the 1960s.
And the libertarians are against the property owners killing these intoxicated thieves. Libertarians do not believe in the concept of private property rights. They supported the stand down order for the police. When american cities were burned to the ground.
They are marijuana smoking collectivists in their mindset.
And they are against property owners killing to protect what they own. But they are comfortable when the government kills to protect government property.
From January 2000
“Man dies in police raid on wrong house”
ABC News, Lebanon Tennessee
This murder, of an innocent black man, by white police, happened about 50 miles from my house. And I’m still angry about it. No Libertarian candidate for public office, has ever said you have a right to kill the police. Whan the raid the wrong house.
President Trump is using state power to do something, that the libertarians if they ever got into office, would never do. Because the libertarians are incapable of using state power for anything.
Libertarians will cheer “when you are arrested protecting your private property”? Really? I have to question whether you actually know any libertarians.
Go ahead and defund all of the police. And live with the consequences. Property owners know exactly what to do. You just keep killing criminals.
When the police are ordered to stand down and do nothing. The result will be private citizens open carrying long guns. And criminals getting “Rittenhoused.”
Democrats: Always willing to do nothing for you but willing to punish you for doing anything yourself.
They’d have an easier time selling the whole “ward of the state” lifestyle thing they’re always pushing if they would just operate a half capable state. You know, one that respects borders, locks up criminals, stems the flow of poison and submits to the reality of chromosomes.
Progressives: masterful at politics and utterly dismal at governance since the late 1800s.
So … according to Leftists forming up militias entirely via private citizens acting solely by themselves is bad.* Forming up militias (or even something that sort of looks like them) by public officials is, apparently, also bad. Since militias are recognized in our Constitution, how then do they propose they be formed?
* except if they’re expressly on the side of the Leftists. Antifa, for instance, comes to mind with the organizational structures, training they sometimes claim to do, equipment, specialized units, etc.
No one of Consequence,
The only standards that Leftists have are double standards.
The left: “The 2A is only for a militia!”
Also the left: “stop forcing militias that’s illegal!”
If y’all haven’t figured it out yet, nobody has 2A to rights with these people.
*nobody but the state. You have no rights as a person only as a part of the state.
Nonetheless disgruntled democRats will have to continue to pound sand.
i think it’s badass. hope it starts trending.
The militia is probably being funded by the $200 application (and 5-year renewal) fee for a pistol permit. Blakeman is an egomaniac running a county that has always been hostile to gun owners. Even the county range is run by obnoxious people who don’t seem to like their own customers.
I hear that about the downstate counties outside of NYC a lot (mostly through their fighting to keep the piss test for a pistol license) but don’t have much interaction with the region besides grant review. Really is everything is a problem down that way?
Next door in Suffolk County the fees are $20. SCPD is reasonably cooperative, even revised the procedure to require only one visit to HQ instead of two. Which makes a difference when Suffolk County is half of what truly is a long island. Last I heard in Nassau you had to bring ALL your handguns to the police for inspection at renewal time. Basically Nassau is NYC-Lite.
Ok thanks that does explain why I hear such different things from that region just outside city limits. On an unrelated note have you heard any rumblings on reduced federal funding being an issue in your region beyond yet more school tax increases?
Not yet, although it’s unclear as to whether Guv Hochul’s campaign to “make NY affordable” (while she nails people $45/week to drive to work) is in jeopardy.
Honestly waiting to see how she is going to sell going after Adams.
The leftest say the 2A is strictly for the militia. The good sheriff forms a militia and the leftest files a lawsuit in opposition to the creation of a militia.
uncommon_sense has it right, “The only standards that Leftist have are double standards.”
The same leftists complain about the money spent exposing the double standard clearly.
I applaud those good citizens volunteering for such dangerous duty.
If the leftist want the 2A limited to the militia, then I wonder why no leftist has volunteered!
Let me see if I understand. Firearms are only meant for a militia. A government entity established a militia. Now a militia is illegal?
Firearms (and personal property, or any other form of tangible personal power) is only for people who help them obtain more wealth and power, and not for anyone who stands between them and more wealth and power. Understand that (not saying you personally don’t), and all the apparent contradictions of the left vanish. Or to state it another way, if you pay attention to what they do rather than what they say, they are almost perfectly consistent.
BTW, are we talking about Nassau County NY, or Nassau County FL. Those are Florida deputies in the pic. Ask me how I know.
Could be both we lose a lot of LEO to Florida especially over the last 5 years. Oh and to your above one yes you have that correct for the assessment, welcome to NY. We already have our governor talking about removing the Mayor of NYC for cooperating with ICE and you know following the law. What will suck for her is we had a lot of federal district vacancies open up recently so there may be an interesting shift in how the 2nd circuit runs over the rest of this decade.
The question nobody has asked yet: does this program qualify the reservists as close enough to cops to qualify under LEOSA (2004), a federal law forcing all states and territories to recognize their ability to pack heat off duty?
If it does, this is REALLY a workaround to the bizarre NYC rules requiring somebody with a valid NY CCW from Long Island to score a >second< permit to carry in NYC. This rule pisses all over the Bruen footnote 9 comments telling us that even under "shall issue" permit issuance systems there's rules include "no lengthy wait" for a permit and no exorbitant fees.
By making a Long Islander score a second permit just to take the wife to Manhattan while strapped, the dual permit rules tosses Bruen in a compost heap.
Here’s my email to the lawyer running the case:
Subject: Some information for you on the Long Island militia case.
Mr. Kelner,
What you have found in Long Island with this so-called militia is really something else. It’s a corruption problem tied to something called LEOSA 2004.
LEOSA is the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act – a federal law. What you have caught here is called a LEOSA cluster. It’s not the only one. Here’s the best known example:
https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-bay-city/2019/07/ex-oakley-police-chief-who-had-big-reserve-police-force-including-kid-rock-gets-prison-time.html
There’s been at least one death involved so far, Tulsa Oklahoma where a 72-year-old reserve deputy shot somebody who didn’t need shooting:
https://www.officer.com/investigations/news/12214854/former-oklahoma-reserve-deputy-sentenced
Why was a 72-year-old man running around playing cops and robbers with a real gun a few weekends a year?
Because under LEOSA, anybody with even the most minimal police credentials is able to carry a gun in all 50 states plus all territories without needing separate permits in each.
Your “militia members” are involved because it’s a lot cheaper to slip his sheriff in Long Island 500 bucks for his campaign contribution as opposed to paying $1,000 for a New York City carry permit because his Long Island carry permit doesn’t work in New York City. Even if the campaign contributions needed are higher than 500 bucks or so, and it might be that low, that reserve deputy status also gives them the right to carry in New Jersey, Massachusetts, DC and so on.
What you have found is a scheme to allow wealthy or politically connected individuals to pack heat more easily than mere mortals.
I’ve been chasing this subject for some time. In 2002 I was thrown out of the California chapter of the NRA for pointing out that Republican sheriffs were selling handgun carry permits under the table for megabucks.
I then tried to expose all of what was going on via public records digging. The NRA backed a law calling for the destruction of the records I was after:
https://youtu.be/cPDZjQAHeY0
I believe that whether or not one is able to carry a gun shouldn’t depend on being a politically connected fat cat of some sort.
I’ll be honest, I don’t think your militia argument is going to go anywhere. But chasing corruption might well be worth pursuing and I wish you well in doing so, even if we stand on opposite sides of the gun carry debate otherwise.
Start cross referencing campaign contributions by the members of this so-called militia. I guarantee you’ll find hits.
Thank you for your kind attention,
Jim Simpson, formerly Jim March
Law Enforcement
The most organized gang in America.
“Why was a 72-year-old man running around playing cops and robbers with a real gun a few weekends a year?“
Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on the TTAG readership?