Doroski moves to pull Suffolk County from costly Even-Year Election Law federal lawsuit

Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski (D-Mattituck) has introduced legislation that would require the county to withdraw from the federal lawsuit challenging New York’s Even Year Election Law, arguing taxpayers should no longer be funding litigation that has already failed in the state courts and has cost local governments more than $1.65 million in legal fees.

See prior story: L.I. taxpayers paid $1.6M-plus in Even-Year Election Law case led by GOP committees

The resolution, filed Thursday, would rescind the Suffolk County Legislature’s 2024 authorization for the county to participate in litigation challenging the law and direct the county attorney to withdraw from the pending federal case.

“I don’t think taxpayers should have ever funded this litigation,” Doroski said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s especially true after the state courts upheld the law.”

The federal lawsuit was filed in October 2025 after the New York Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the constitutionality of the Even Year Election Law, which requires most local elections to be held in even-numbered years. The U.S. Supreme Court later declined to review that decision.

The lawsuit, however, raises different claims under the U.S. Constitution.

The state’s motion to dismiss the federal action was argued before U.S. District Judge Gary R. Brown in Central Islip on June 18. Brown reserved decision following oral argument, and no ruling had been issued as of this publication.

Doroski’s resolution cites the mounting cost of the litigation to taxpayers. It states that Suffolk County has paid at least $230,000 in legal fees and that taxpayers in the towns of Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Riverhead have each incurred more than $207,000 in legal costs. The resolution also states that the New York Republican State Committee and Suffolk County Republican Committee, which are lead plaintiffs in the federal action, “have paid none of the costs of this litigation.”

RiverheadLOCAL has independently confirmed that Riverhead paid at least $207,958.79 in legal fees through Dec. 31, 2025.

Last week, RiverheadLOCAL reported that the Town of Riverhead withdrew from the federal lawsuit after paying at least $207,958.79 in legal fees. Most of the governmental plaintiffs—including the towns of Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip, North Hempstead, Oyster Bay and Smithtown, as well as Orange County—have since withdrawn from the litigation. Nassau County and Suffolk County remain plaintiffs.

See prior story: Riverhead withdraws from Even-Year Election Law case after paying at least $207K in legal fees (June 16)

Public records obtained by RiverheadLOCAL also show that the remaining municipal plaintiffs renegotiated their engagement agreement with Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors after legal costs mounted, placing a cap on future monthly legal-fee obligations.

Doroski said the county should no longer continue participating in the lawsuit at taxpayer expense, particularly after the constitutional challenge failed in the state courts.

Doroski, who represents the First Legislative District, sought to discuss the matter during the legislature’s Ways and Means Committee last Thursday but his request was rejected by committee chairperson Chad Lennon, who said it should be taken up in executive session.

The resolution is expected to be laid on the table at the Suffolk County Legislature’s July 14 meeting before being referred to the Ways and Means Committee for consideration, Doroski said.