John Powell, former county GOP chairman, dead at 51

Former Suffolk County Republican chairman John Powell died Wednesday of an apparent heart attack in his Medford home.

Powell, 51, was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital this morning.

“Today, we as a party mourn the passing of former Suffolk County Republican Party Chairman John Powell,” Suffolk GOP chairman John LaValle said in a statement.  “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Arlene and his four children, Anthony, John, Alexandra and Mia.”

Powell was a rank-and-file equipment operator in the Brookhaven Town highway department in the 1980s, mentored by longtime highway chief Harold Malkmes. A political newcomer, he won an upset victory against longtime Democratic Assemblyman I. William Bianchi in 1988.

Riverhead Republican chairman John Galla, was a consultant on Powell’s assembly campaign.

“He was probably the finest street-fighting politician I’ve ever seen, the best I ever worked for,” Galla recalled Wednesday evening.

“I never saw anybody like him and I never saw a race like that,” Galla said. “John
brought the old guard and the new guard under the same tent in that campaign in an amazing way.”

After his young son was killed in a tragic accident, Powell resigned his assembly seat in 1990 to spend time with his family. He was later elected to the Brookhaven Town Board and became the town Republican leader. He resigned from his council seat for a job as deputy commissioner of the Suffolk County Board of Elections in 1991. He later became chairman of the Suffolk GOP.

Powell was one of the earliest supporters of George Pataki for governor in 1994. His delivery of Suffolk County for the governor was a key ingredient in Pataki’s success. Powell was mentioned as a contender for state chairman of the Republican party after Pataki’s election.

“He had great instincts,” Galla said. “I’m surprised his instincts didn’t protect him better.”

Powell was indicted on federal corruption charges in 1998 and was found guilty of conspiracy and extortion by a jury on Dec. 2, 1999 after a highly publicized trial. A key witness in the trial was the owner of a Calverton trucking company, who testified about Powell’s role in extorting money from garbage-haulers in exchange for access to the town landfill. In February 2000, Powell pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering charge for his involvement in a truck theft ring. In April 2000 he was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Powell was released from prison in 2002.

He currently owned and operated a paving company, Powell Paving, based in Medford. He had been increasingly seen at Republican party functions, leading to speculation that he was angling for a political comeback.
 
LaValle said he will always remember Powell “as a brilliant politician and charismatic leader who was a good family man.”

Viewing and funeral arrangements were not immediately available.