New fixed pier, floating dock part of enhancements Datwyler rejected role Monday: attorney

BY ROBERT PELAEZ

A supposed newly appointed treasurer for U.S. Rep. George Santos declined the position last week after the congressman’s team fled a modifed campaign disclosure report that changed the source of a $500,000 loan previously claimed as “personal funds.”

Thomas Datwyler, of Wisconsin, reportedly turned down the campaign treasurer position on Monday despite Santos fling papers naming him to the position a day later, according to multiple reports. Datwyler’s attorney told multiple outlets his client turned down the job.

Financial disclosure reports Santos fled following the November election showed an outstanding balance of $630,000 on loans from his personal funds. He had originally listed a $705,000 loan to his campaign. Last week, Santos said, the modifcation of the $500,000 loan was a result of his staf’s doing.

Money that Santos listed as a loan in his campaign flings and its source have been questioned in complaints fled with the Federal Election Commission. Santos’ campaign lawyer, Joe Murray, told Newsday that “due to the FEC complaints it would be inappropriate to comment on an open investigation.”

Eforts to reach a representative from Santos’ congressional ofce for comment were unavailing.

Santos faces a pair of new complaints fled by a watchdog group and two of his Democratic colleagues from New York.

The Campaign Legal Center, a nonproft organization that aims to advance democracy through the law, questioned the newly elected congressman’s infux of wealth after he reported a salary of $55,000 in 2020, which rose to $750,000 in 2022 and $1 million to $5 million in dividends.

BY BRANDON DUFFY

The Stepping Stones Lighthouse will be receiving a new fxed pier and foating dock as part of a $535,000 expenditure included in North Hempstead’s recently approved 2023 capital plan.

The fve-year plan, unanimously approved by the seven-member Town Board during the Jan. 24 meeting, calls for $126.9 million in spending that will be funded with a combination of borrowing, grants and existing cash.

According to the plan, $97.5 million will be paid for through bonds, and the rest will come from government grants, available cash from prior borrowings and funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.

The town acquired ownership of the lighthouse, which sits about 1,600 yards of the shore of Kings Point, from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2008 as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. It agreed to submit yearly reports to the National Park

Service on “any capital improvements to preserve and restore the structure within its historical accuracy.”

Preserving the lighthouse, which was built in 1877 and updated in 1944, has been an area of concern for local ofcials and community organizations in the area.

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said she held “productive meetings” with members of the Great Neck Historical Society in September to talk about ways to better preserve the lighthouse.

Former state Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso helped secure $200,000 from state funding for the town, which also received $165,000 from the National Maritime Heritage Grant, according to ofcials.

Former state Sen. Jack Matins aided in securing $100,000 for the Great Neck Park District and the Great Neck Historical Society has raised more than $120,000 for restorations.

Additional highlights in the capital plan include allocating over $267,000 for additional improvements to the Sept. 11 Memorial at Manhasset Val-

DISPLAY ADVERTISING: Steven Blank 516-307-1045 x201 sblank@theisland360.com ley Park, such as a remembrance wall and presentation area.

$22.1 million over the next fve years will be allocated for the town’s annual road resurfacing program, with $4 million and $300,000 allocated each for residential and industrial roads, respectively.

$4.3 million will go toward improvements and buying equipment at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington, including resurfacing the cart paths and course maintenance.

Multiple residents told the town board the golf course’s quality and care were not meeting expectations associated with its high fees over the summer.

The capital plan was put together in collaboration between all seven members of the town board and department heads.

“I want to thank each of them for their hard work identifying projects important to their districts, and Townwide, as we seek to not just maintain, but improve our parks and our Town infrastructure,” DeSena said in a statement.

“Let’s make it very clear, I don’t amend anything, I don’t touch any of my FEC stuf, right?” Santos told reporters last week. “So don’t be disingenuous and report that I did because you know that every campaign hires fduciaries.”

The organization also called the congressman’s $705,000 loan to his campaign into question, claiming he falsifed reports on nearly 40 expenditure flings under $200.

The center fled the complaint with the Federal Election Commission and to the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice several Continued on Page 39

PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTOS

EDITORIAL:

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Sue Tabakin 516-307-1045 x206 stabakin@theisland360.com x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Manhasset Times: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203 • rpelaez@theisland360.com

Roslyn Times: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Williston Times: Brandon Duffy 516-307-1045 x215 • bduffy@theisland360.com

Port Washington Times: Robert Pelaez 516-307-1045 x203

• rpelaez@theisland360.com