Rich Schaffer

Introduction

Rich Schaffer is a Long Island Democratic power broker who has chaired the Suffolk County Democratic Committee for roughly a quarter century while serving as Babylon Town supervisor — and who was re-elected to the party’s top job on September 22, 2026, days after allegations surfaced that he tried to pay committee members for their votes in that very contest. The New York Attorney General’s Office has confirmed it is reviewing complaints regarding the Suffolk County Democratic Committee over the conduct alleged in the fight, though no charges have been filed against Schaffer and he has publicly denied the bribery allegations.

Background Information

Schaffer has led the Suffolk County Democratic Committee since 2000, making him one of Long Island’s longest-serving party leaders, and for most of that time he has simultaneously served as supervisor of the Town of Babylon. News 12 Long Island reported that nearly 1,400 Suffolk Democrats were eligible to vote at the party’s September 22, 2026 convention at the Hilton Long Island in Melville, where Schaffer faced his first-ever contested race for the chairmanship.

His challenger was Kathryn Casey Quigley, chair of the Southold Town Democratic Committee, who argued that a decade of losses — the county executive’s office, the county legislature, the district attorney’s office and the Huntington Town Board have all flipped Republican under his watch — showed the party needed a new approach. Critics including former congressional nominee Perry Gershon have accused Schaffer of a longstanding practice of striking cross-endorsement deals with the opposing party, and Newsday reported allegations that party leadership pressured the Democratic comptroller candidate to withdraw and that the county clerk candidate abandoned his campaign after similar pressure.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The conduct described in this section is alleged by fellow Democrats, supported by text messages and videos reviewed by City & State and the New York Post, and is under review by the state Attorney General’s Office. Nothing has been charged, Schaffer denies the bribery allegations, and nothing described here has been adjudicated in court.

According to text messages viewed by the New York Post, Schaffer allegedly texted one committee member “Can we pay him to miss work?” about getting the member’s father to skip his night shift as a security guard and come vote for Schaffer instead. City & State reported that it verified a September 9 text from a number matching Schaffer’s publicly shared cellphone, received by Ken Colón, a former Islip town supervisor candidate who works on the county party payroll, offering money to ensure a committee member showed up to vote; Colón said he was later contacted by investigators.

City & State also reviewed a video taken at the Suffolk County Board of Elections in which Democratic Elections Commissioner John Alberts tells four patronage employees — all county committee members — that it is “imperative” they attend the convention “to vote for Rich to keep him chairman so you still have jobs.” Leigh-Ann Barde, the Islip Town Democratic chairwoman who shared that video, had been one of Schaffer’s staunchest loyalists before turning on him in an editorial days before the vote, calling his effort a “Mafia-style reelection campaign” and demanding his resignation over alleged backdoor deals with the local GOP.

Derek Stein, a staffer for County Legislator Greg Doroski, posted a video laying out the allegations and claiming the state Attorney General’s Office and the FBI were looking into the matter; the Attorney General’s Office — under Letitia James — confirmed only that it has received and is reviewing complaints regarding the Suffolk County Democratic Committee, while the FBI did not respond to a request for comment.

Public Reaction and Consequences

At the September 22 convention in Melville, Schaffer coasted to another term with over 57% of the weighted votes of county district leaders, defeating Quigley despite the allegations. Barde told the New York Post, “It pains me greatly as someone who has supported, defended, and looked up to Chairman Richard Schaffer and considered him a friend — I have no choice but to call on Richard Schaffer to resign.”

Schaffer has publicly denied the bribery allegations, and no criminal charge has been filed against him. The New York Post reported the story was shared nearly 12,000 times within hours, and the episode has left one of the state’s most entrenched county organizations openly divided weeks before the November general election.

Current Status

As of September 23, 2026, Schaffer remains Suffolk County Democratic Committee chairman, Babylon Town supervisor, and under review by the state Attorney General’s Office, which has not alleged wrongdoing by any named individual. He has rejected calls to resign, and no charges, sanctions, or disciplinary proceedings have been reported against him.

The intra-party civil war he just survived is likely to continue: his challenger pledged to end a “culture of patronage and corruption,” a fellow party chair has publicly demanded his resignation, and any findings from the Attorney General’s review of the committee could still land on his party organization — though the office has not accused Schaffer personally of anything.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The immediate electoral verdict was defiant: the party’s district leaders gave Schaffer a sixth two-year term by a 57% weighted-vote majority within days of the pay-for-votes texts becoming public, suggesting his machine’s grip held even as its methods drew official scrutiny. His standing outside the room looks different — a former ally now leads a public resignation campaign, the party’s brand heads into a November election shadowed by an Attorney General review, and the patronage system at the Board of Elections that critics say anchors his power is now the subject of published recordings.

Whether the scandal costs Schaffer anything durable depends on investigators: the complaints under review concern the committee’s conduct, and no charge, ethics referral, or town-level consequence for him personally had been reported. His dual role as county party chairman and Babylon Town supervisor — the combination critics say concentrates too much power — remains intact.

Sources

• New York Post, “Long Island Dems re-elect party boss Rich Schaffer after accusations he tried to pay for votes,” September 23, 2026 — source
• City & State New York, “Inside Rich Schaffer’s ‘hardball’ campaign to keep power in Suffolk County,” September 21, 2026 — source
• News 12 Long Island, “Suffolk Democrats set for leadership vote as Rich Schaffer faces challenge from Kathryn Casey Quigley,” September 18, 2026 — source
• East Hampton Star, “County Democratic Chairman Under Fire,” September 3, 2026 — source