By: Jordan Baker

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is pushing back hard against a lawsuit filed by Democratic lawmakers attempting to halt his controversial plan to establish a volunteer unit of armed civilian deputies. In a sharply worded counterclaim, Blakeman accused the lawsuit’s backers of engaging in a political smear campaign designed to silence and intimidate him, according to continued reporting by the New York Post.

Filed in state Supreme Court, the lawsuit—initiated by Democratic Legislators Debra Mulé and Scott Davis—seeks to block what they describe as an unauthorized “militia” of civilians armed and mobilized under the banner of public safety. Blakeman, a Republican, argues the suit is not only unfounded but also unconstitutional.

“They brought a lawsuit against me to try to get me to not speak out about issues I think are important,” Blakeman said in a statement reported by the NY Post. “They are trying to violate — not only my rights as an individual citizen — but my rights as county executive to represent the people of Nassau County.”

Blakeman’s legal team has asked the court to dismiss the suit under New York’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law, which protects individuals from lawsuits that are primarily intended to chill free speech. They are also seeking reimbursement for legal fees from the Democratic legislators.

The first court date is scheduled for June 19 in Mineola’s state Supreme Court. Legal experts note that the outcome could set a new precedent on the extent to which local governments can enlist civilians for armed public safety roles, according to New York Post coverage.

The civilian deputy initiative, introduced by Blakeman last year, created a database of vetted and trained volunteers who would be deployed only in emergency situations when county police are overwhelmed. Blakeman maintains that the program is fully compliant with the law and driven by a genuine need to bolster public safety.

However, the program has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic leaders. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, the county legislature’s minority leader, slammed the plan as dangerous and un-American. As reported by the NY Post, she compared the initiative to Nazi Germany’s untrained civilian enforcers, calling the group a modern-day “brownshirt” force.

“There was something called the brownshirts, which was basically having civilians all of a sudden become part of law enforcement without the training,” DeRiggi-Whitton said, drawing historical parallels that have fueled controversy.

The original suit, filed February 4, contends that Blakeman overstepped his authority by using public funds to launch the “provisional special deputies program” without legislative approval. According to the New York Post, the complaint also highlights Blakeman’s refusal to comply with public records requests about the initiative’s scope and cost.

The suit points to taxpayer-funded expenses including background checks, random drug testing, training sessions, and $150-per-day stipends for volunteers during activation.

Attorney Carey Dunne, representing the Democratic lawmakers, dismissed Blakeman’s counterclaim as an effort to suppress dissent. “You can’t have political actors in this country allowed to sue private citizens for exercising their constitutional rights,” Dunne told the NY Post. Although Mulé and Davis are legislators, they filed the lawsuit as private citizens and taxpayers.

“This case started as an effort to stop the creation of a private militia,” Dunne added. “Now, if this SLAPP argument gains ground, it could seriously threaten civil liberties on a national scale.”