Blakeman hired ex-congressman Peter King to serve as $200G confidential legal adviser

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman hired political ally and former Rep. Peter King to serve as what was described as his confidential adviser on counterterrorism and homeland security, bypassing competitive bidding and legislative approval to award him nearly $200,000 in contracts over the last two years, records obtained by Newsday show.

Blakeman, a Republican, used a special provision that allows the county executive to unilaterally hire legal counsel to advise on "sensitive governmental areas," raising ethics questions among government watchdogs and Democrats. This provision has enabled Blakeman to execute a handful of other contracts totaling more than $500,000 since he took office in 2022.

King, 81, told Newsday he attends weekly counterterrorism meetings with Blakeman and police officials, and spends several hours a week on contract-related work. He said he was involved in security planning before last year’s Cricket World Cup, which was held in Nassau and drew more than 150,000 fans to a temporary stadium built at Eisenhower Park. More recently, King said, he was in touch with federal officials after the United States strikes on Iran last month.

"I’m not saying it needs to be me instead of someone else," King told Newsday, but added, "I think it’s good to have somebody on the outside who can add a different dimension."

County officials justified hiring King based on his three decades in Congress, where he chaired the House Homeland Security Committee and oversaw congressional hearings on domestic terrorism, according to county records obtained by Newsday. King has worked as a lobbyist and consultant since leaving office. 

Both Suffolk and Nassau counties have previously hired other consultants for homeland security matters.

Nassau hired King on a yearlong contract in November 2023 and has since extended his term through October 2025. Nassau’s comptroller has approved $192,000 in payments to King, paid out in monthly installments of up to $8,000, records show. Blakeman has the option to extend the contract another year.

Blakeman told Newsday that King "has not only a wealth of knowledge, but an extensive network of intelligence professionals that he has made available to Nassau County." Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder agreed, telling Newsday in a statement that King is "available 24/7” and attends weekly terrorism briefings in Nassau with local, state and federal agencies.

Most county contracts are subject to a vote by the Nassau County Legislature's Rules Committee and a competitive bidding process mandated by law that requires officials to find low-cost vendors, warning against no-bid contracts that leave the county with "little leverage to obtain the best possible pricing."

Most contracts approved without competitive bidding must fall below $1,000, according to county rules. But King’s contract was not presented for a vote before the Nassau legislature, nor subject to a competitive bidding process, because it involves "highly sensitive" matters, according to county documents. 

A spokesman for Blakeman did not answer questions about why the county executive signed King’s contract and several others without legislative approval. In 2023, also without a legislative vote, Blakeman awarded $250,000 to the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, which President Donald Trump hired to fight his hush money case, to advise Blakeman on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s housing plan.

Susan Lerner, executive director of government oversight group Common Cause New York, said the practice of granting contracts without legislative approval "undermines the public’s trust, and is part of a continued disdain for accountability or transparency that we’re witnessing at the federal level."

"We urge our elected officials to prioritize the public interest and uphold the checks and balances necessary for a functioning government," Lerner wrote in a statement to Newsday.

King has offered political support to Blakeman over the years, appearing with him when Blakeman announced his ultimately unsuccessful 2010 Senate run and 2014 bid for Congress, according to news reports. King was also with Blakeman in February when he kicked off his reelection run for county executive. Blakeman also previously served on the Hempstead Town Board with King’s daughter, Erin King Sweeney.

The former Republican congressman has donated more than $1.1 million to political campaigns across Long Island and beyond over the past 25 years, both personally and through his campaign committee. Those donations include $306,000 to Nassau’s Republican Committee, nearly $20,000 to Nassau’s Conservative Party, $17,000 to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s campaigns and $5,000 to Blakeman’s campaigns.

In a letter to the county detailing his own qualifications for the job, King described his work with the New York City Police Department and Nassau County Police Department counterterrorism units, including attending so-called "Terror Tuesday" weekly briefings.

During his time in Congress, King also served as chair of the Emergency Preparedness and Technology Subcommittee and as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where he received briefings from the CIA, FBI, NSA, among other agencies.

Blakeman’s opponent in this fall’s county executive race, Nassau County Legis. Seth Koslow (D-Merrick), called the contract "vague, unjustified, and absurdly convenient."

"Even if it’s legal, it doesn’t mean it’s ethical or defensible. Quite frankly, it’s a handout," Koslow said about Blakeman hiring King after being alerted by Newsday about the contract. "He's doing whatever he can to give his friends contracts."