“There is no pattern. The pattern is in your mind."
•
Oct 2, 2025
•
That's what Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim told me today when I connected the dots between campaign contributions, public celebrations, and zoning approvals.
They called it "politicking."
I call it asking questions. I call it exposing the truth.
They didn't like what they heard.
So they kicked me out for it.
Why I spoke
I support revitalization when it is done right. My concern is a pattern of reckless, cumulative overdevelopment that moves faster than residents can weigh in and faster than our infrastructure can bear. If there is a conflict or even the appearance of one, Supervisor Wehrheim should recuse from the vote after full disclosure on the record. When I showed how campaign contributions connect to zoning approvals, Wehrheim dismissed it: "The pattern is in your mind."
Let me be very clear about what I mean by 'pattern.'
What a Pattern Looks Like
Developers who contribute to campaigns get praised at town events and then receive favorable zoning decisions.
Developers contribute to campaigns, and then their zoning requests are approved despite community opposition.
Residents whose concerns are repeatedly dismissed.
That's not in my mind. That's in the public record.
If there's no pattern, publish the studies and disclosures. Let residents decide.
The Timeline They Didn't Want to Hear
Spring 2025: Campaign support flows to Supervisor Wehrheim from Peter Cosentino and the development industry.
September 12, 2025: Cosentino Companies sponsors a free town concert. Supervisor Wehrheim stands on stage, publicly thanks them, and invites Peter Cosentino up as an honored guest.
October 2, 2025: The Town Board holds a public hearing on Cosentino's request to expand their Commack property by over 27,000 square feet.
Campaign contribution. Public celebration. Zoning approval.
Call it what you want. I call it a pattern. This is what I tried to lay out: my ultimate goal was to ask Supervisor Wehrheim if he was going to recuse himself from the vote, but I didn't even get that far.
And It's Not Just Cosentino
Tony Tanzi sits on the Zoning Board that approved his own $22 million development
288-unit Kings Park project approved despite community opposition which sets precedent for 500 total units
23% of Wehrheim's contributions ($22,500) from developers
$30,000 super PAC from Builders Institute supporting Wehrheim
75% of Kings Park industrial properties violate code and the town did nothing until residents threatened legal action
The Money Behind the Pattern
23% of Supervisor Wehrheim's campaign contributions, totaling $22,500 out of $96,438, came from developers, construction companies, and related businesses. (Source: Transparency USA)
The Long Island Builders Institute spent $30,000 on ads supporting Supervisor Wehrheim in the primary, explicitly stating they support him because his opponent opposed overdevelopment in Kings Park. (Source: Newsday, June 13, 2025)
Campaign finance records show monthly $500 payments to BMW Financial Services (January-May 2025), totaling $2,500, categorized as "Car Rental Payment Etc." (Source: Transparency USA)
So when they say "there's no pattern," what they really mean is "don't look at the pattern."
Before I was removed, I was trying to ask this board for five
straightforward fixes:
Disclosure before decisions. Put any financial ties between applicants and town officials into the public record before votes.
Recusal where warranted. If a resident legitimately questions an official's impartiality, that official should step aside and document the issue in writing.
Capacity first. Pause new development until independent, current studies on traffic, sewers, stormwater, parking, and schools are published and reviewed.
Real community benefits. Require enforceable commitments for infrastructure upgrades, traffic mitigation, usable open space, and a meaningful share of affordable homes before approving large projects.
Early public review. Create hamlet advisory panels, post materials early, and require applicants to demonstrate how public feedback influenced their plans.
Instead of addressing these requests, they accused me of "politicking" and removed me from the meeting.
My Opponent's Response: Deflection
My opponent has now posted about this incident. Notice what he's NOT addressing:
❌ The $22,500 in developer contributions
❌ The $30,000 super PAC spending
❌ The Cosentino timeline
❌ Tony Tanzi's conflict of interest
❌ Community opposition is being ignored
Instead, he's claiming I "shouted" that my husband is a Suffolk County police officer to avoid being removed.
I mumbled it under my breath as if to say, "I know the deal, my husband's a cop." And also, because I couldn't believe I was being silenced for exercising my First Amendment right to speak at a public hearing about matters of public concern.
He wants to talk about a comment made in frustration instead of the $22,500 in developer money, the conflicts of interest, and the pattern of approvals despite community opposition.
That's deflection, not leadership.
What Happens Next
I'll continue to ask the questions residents deserve to have answered. And I'll continue to fight for transparency and accountability.
I'm running for Suffolk County Legislature because I believe government should work for the people, not for the developers who fund campaigns.
Tonight showed exactly why that matters.
Watch the video. Review the sources. Decide for yourself.
Sources & Documentation
Every fact cited in this article is documented in public records. Here are the sources:
Campaign Finance Records
•Friends of Ed Wehrheim Campaign Committee - Transparency USA•Peter Cosentino $1,500 contribution (April 22, 2025)•23% of contributions from development industry ($22,500)•BMW Financial Services payments ($2,500 total)
Town of Smithtown Official Documents
•Concert Announcement - Civic Alert #3202•September 12, 2025 concert sponsored by Cosentino Companies
•Zone Change Petition #2025-A•Cosentino request to expand by 27,176 square feet
•Town Board Meeting Video - October 2, 2025•Full meeting video showing the incident
News Articles
•Newsday: Tanzi Cornerstone Approval (March 23, 2025)•Tony Tanzi conflict of interest
•Newsday: Beechwood 288-Unit Project (September 15, 2025)•Kings Park development despite community opposition
•Newsday: LIBI Super PAC Spending (June 13, 2025)•$30,000 spent supporting Wehrheim
•Patch: BJ's Gas Station Approval (July 27, 2025)•Commack development approval
Community Organizations
•Kings Park Community Association Newsletter 2025•Community concerns about overdevelopment•75% code violations in industrial area•500-unit precedent concern
“There is no pattern. The pattern is in your mind."
•
Oct 2, 2025
•
That's what Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim told me today when I connected the dots between campaign contributions, public celebrations, and zoning approvals.
They called it "politicking."
I call it asking questions. I call it exposing the truth.
They didn't like what they heard.
So they kicked me out for it.
Why I spoke
I support revitalization when it is done right. My concern is a pattern of reckless, cumulative overdevelopment that moves faster than residents can weigh in and faster than our infrastructure can bear. If there is a conflict or even the appearance of one, Supervisor Wehrheim should recuse from the vote after full disclosure on the record. When I showed how campaign contributions connect to zoning approvals, Wehrheim dismissed it: "The pattern is in your mind."
Let me be very clear about what I mean by 'pattern.'
What a Pattern Looks Like
Developers who contribute to campaigns get praised at town events and then receive favorable zoning decisions.
Developers contribute to campaigns, and then their zoning requests are approved despite community opposition.
Residents whose concerns are repeatedly dismissed.
That's not in my mind. That's in the public record.
If there's no pattern, publish the studies and disclosures. Let residents decide.
The Timeline They Didn't Want to Hear
Spring 2025: Campaign support flows to Supervisor Wehrheim from Peter Cosentino and the development industry.
September 12, 2025: Cosentino Companies sponsors a free town concert. Supervisor Wehrheim stands on stage, publicly thanks them, and invites Peter Cosentino up as an honored guest.
October 2, 2025: The Town Board holds a public hearing on Cosentino's request to expand their Commack property by over 27,000 square feet.
Campaign contribution. Public celebration. Zoning approval.
Call it what you want. I call it a pattern. This is what I tried to lay out: my ultimate goal was to ask Supervisor Wehrheim if he was going to recuse himself from the vote, but I didn't even get that far.
And It's Not Just Cosentino
Tony Tanzi sits on the Zoning Board that approved his own $22 million development
288-unit Kings Park project approved despite community opposition which sets precedent for 500 total units
23% of Wehrheim's contributions ($22,500) from developers
$30,000 super PAC from Builders Institute supporting Wehrheim
75% of Kings Park industrial properties violate code and the town did nothing until residents threatened legal action
The Money Behind the Pattern
23% of Supervisor Wehrheim's campaign contributions, totaling $22,500 out of $96,438, came from developers, construction companies, and related businesses. (Source: Transparency USA)
The Long Island Builders Institute spent $30,000 on ads supporting Supervisor Wehrheim in the primary, explicitly stating they support him because his opponent opposed overdevelopment in Kings Park. (Source: Newsday, June 13, 2025)
Campaign finance records show monthly $500 payments to BMW Financial Services (January-May 2025), totaling $2,500, categorized as "Car Rental Payment Etc." (Source: Transparency USA)
So when they say "there's no pattern," what they really mean is "don't look at the pattern."
Before I was removed, I was trying to ask this board for five
straightforward fixes:
Disclosure before decisions. Put any financial ties between applicants and town officials into the public record before votes.
Recusal where warranted. If a resident legitimately questions an official's impartiality, that official should step aside and document the issue in writing.
Capacity first. Pause new development until independent, current studies on traffic, sewers, stormwater, parking, and schools are published and reviewed.
Real community benefits. Require enforceable commitments for infrastructure upgrades, traffic mitigation, usable open space, and a meaningful share of affordable homes before approving large projects.
Early public review. Create hamlet advisory panels, post materials early, and require applicants to demonstrate how public feedback influenced their plans.
Instead of addressing these requests, they accused me of "politicking" and removed me from the meeting.
My Opponent's Response: Deflection
My opponent has now posted about this incident. Notice what he's NOT addressing:
❌ The $22,500 in developer contributions
❌ The $30,000 super PAC spending
❌ The Cosentino timeline
❌ Tony Tanzi's conflict of interest
❌ Community opposition is being ignored
Instead, he's claiming I "shouted" that my husband is a Suffolk County police officer to avoid being removed.
I mumbled it under my breath as if to say, "I know the deal, my husband's a cop." And also, because I couldn't believe I was being silenced for exercising my First Amendment right to speak at a public hearing about matters of public concern.
He wants to talk about a comment made in frustration instead of the $22,500 in developer money, the conflicts of interest, and the pattern of approvals despite community opposition.
That's deflection, not leadership.
What Happens Next
I'll continue to ask the questions residents deserve to have answered. And I'll continue to fight for transparency and accountability.
I'm running for Suffolk County Legislature because I believe government should work for the people, not for the developers who fund campaigns.
Tonight showed exactly why that matters.
Watch the video. Review the sources. Decide for yourself.
Sources & Documentation
Every fact cited in this article is documented in public records. Here are the sources:
Campaign Finance Records
•Friends of Ed Wehrheim Campaign Committee - Transparency USA•Peter Cosentino $1,500 contribution (April 22, 2025)•23% of contributions from development industry ($22,500)•BMW Financial Services payments ($2,500 total)
Town of Smithtown Official Documents
•Concert Announcement - Civic Alert #3202•September 12, 2025 concert sponsored by Cosentino Companies
•Zone Change Petition #2025-A•Cosentino request to expand by 27,176 square feet
•Town Board Meeting Video - October 2, 2025•Full meeting video showing the incident
News Articles
•Newsday: Tanzi Cornerstone Approval (March 23, 2025)•Tony Tanzi conflict of interest
•Newsday: Beechwood 288-Unit Project (September 15, 2025)•Kings Park development despite community opposition
•Newsday: LIBI Super PAC Spending (June 13, 2025)•$30,000 spent supporting Wehrheim
•Patch: BJ's Gas Station Approval (July 27, 2025)•Commack development approval
Community Organizations
•Kings Park Community Association Newsletter 2025•Community concerns about overdevelopment•75% code violations in industrial area•500-unit precedent concern
“There is no pattern. The pattern is in your mind."
•
Oct 2, 2025
•
That's what Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim told me today when I connected the dots between campaign contributions, public celebrations, and zoning approvals.
They called it "politicking."
I call it asking questions. I call it exposing the truth.
They didn't like what they heard.
So they kicked me out for it.
Why I spoke
I support revitalization when it is done right. My concern is a pattern of reckless, cumulative overdevelopment that moves faster than residents can weigh in and faster than our infrastructure can bear. If there is a conflict or even the appearance of one, Supervisor Wehrheim should recuse from the vote after full disclosure on the record. When I showed how campaign contributions connect to zoning approvals, Wehrheim dismissed it: "The pattern is in your mind."
Let me be very clear about what I mean by 'pattern.'
What a Pattern Looks Like
Developers who contribute to campaigns get praised at town events and then receive favorable zoning decisions.
Developers contribute to campaigns, and then their zoning requests are approved despite community opposition.
Residents whose concerns are repeatedly dismissed.
That's not in my mind. That's in the public record.
If there's no pattern, publish the studies and disclosures. Let residents decide.
The Timeline They Didn't Want to Hear
Spring 2025: Campaign support flows to Supervisor Wehrheim from Peter Cosentino and the development industry.
September 12, 2025: Cosentino Companies sponsors a free town concert. Supervisor Wehrheim stands on stage, publicly thanks them, and invites Peter Cosentino up as an honored guest.
October 2, 2025: The Town Board holds a public hearing on Cosentino's request to expand their Commack property by over 27,000 square feet.
Campaign contribution. Public celebration. Zoning approval.
Call it what you want. I call it a pattern. This is what I tried to lay out: my ultimate goal was to ask Supervisor Wehrheim if he was going to recuse himself from the vote, but I didn't even get that far.
And It's Not Just Cosentino
Tony Tanzi sits on the Zoning Board that approved his own $22 million development
288-unit Kings Park project approved despite community opposition which sets precedent for 500 total units
23% of Wehrheim's contributions ($22,500) from developers
$30,000 super PAC from Builders Institute supporting Wehrheim
75% of Kings Park industrial properties violate code and the town did nothing until residents threatened legal action
The Money Behind the Pattern
23% of Supervisor Wehrheim's campaign contributions, totaling $22,500 out of $96,438, came from developers, construction companies, and related businesses. (Source: Transparency USA)
The Long Island Builders Institute spent $30,000 on ads supporting Supervisor Wehrheim in the primary, explicitly stating they support him because his opponent opposed overdevelopment in Kings Park. (Source: Newsday, June 13, 2025)
Campaign finance records show monthly $500 payments to BMW Financial Services (January-May 2025), totaling $2,500, categorized as "Car Rental Payment Etc." (Source: Transparency USA)
So when they say "there's no pattern," what they really mean is "don't look at the pattern."
Before I was removed, I was trying to ask this board for five
straightforward fixes:
Disclosure before decisions. Put any financial ties between applicants and town officials into the public record before votes.
Recusal where warranted. If a resident legitimately questions an official's impartiality, that official should step aside and document the issue in writing.
Capacity first. Pause new development until independent, current studies on traffic, sewers, stormwater, parking, and schools are published and reviewed.
Real community benefits. Require enforceable commitments for infrastructure upgrades, traffic mitigation, usable open space, and a meaningful share of affordable homes before approving large projects.
Early public review. Create hamlet advisory panels, post materials early, and require applicants to demonstrate how public feedback influenced their plans.
Instead of addressing these requests, they accused me of "politicking" and removed me from the meeting.
My Opponent's Response: Deflection
My opponent has now posted about this incident. Notice what he's NOT addressing:
❌ The $22,500 in developer contributions
❌ The $30,000 super PAC spending
❌ The Cosentino timeline
❌ Tony Tanzi's conflict of interest
❌ Community opposition is being ignored
Instead, he's claiming I "shouted" that my husband is a Suffolk County police officer to avoid being removed.
I mumbled it under my breath as if to say, "I know the deal, my husband's a cop." And also, because I couldn't believe I was being silenced for exercising my First Amendment right to speak at a public hearing about matters of public concern.
He wants to talk about a comment made in frustration instead of the $22,500 in developer money, the conflicts of interest, and the pattern of approvals despite community opposition.
That's deflection, not leadership.
What Happens Next
I'll continue to ask the questions residents deserve to have answered. And I'll continue to fight for transparency and accountability.
I'm running for Suffolk County Legislature because I believe government should work for the people, not for the developers who fund campaigns.
Tonight showed exactly why that matters.
Watch the video. Review the sources. Decide for yourself.
Sources & Documentation
Every fact cited in this article is documented in public records. Here are the sources:
Campaign Finance Records
•Friends of Ed Wehrheim Campaign Committee - Transparency USA•Peter Cosentino $1,500 contribution (April 22, 2025)•23% of contributions from development industry ($22,500)•BMW Financial Services payments ($2,500 total)
Town of Smithtown Official Documents
•Concert Announcement - Civic Alert #3202•September 12, 2025 concert sponsored by Cosentino Companies
•Zone Change Petition #2025-A•Cosentino request to expand by 27,176 square feet
•Town Board Meeting Video - October 2, 2025•Full meeting video showing the incident
News Articles
•Newsday: Tanzi Cornerstone Approval (March 23, 2025)•Tony Tanzi conflict of interest
•Newsday: Beechwood 288-Unit Project (September 15, 2025)•Kings Park development despite community opposition
•Newsday: LIBI Super PAC Spending (June 13, 2025)•$30,000 spent supporting Wehrheim
•Patch: BJ's Gas Station Approval (July 27, 2025)•Commack development approval
Community Organizations
•Kings Park Community Association Newsletter 2025•Community concerns about overdevelopment•75% code violations in industrial area•500-unit precedent concern