The Hempstead Town Board unanimously rejected an $85,000 legal settlement Tuesday with Double Eagle Golf Inc., which operated the Town-owned Lido Beach Golf Course from 1997 to 2017.
Town Supervisor Laura Gillen objected to the legal settlement after a Newsday report showing that Double Eagle Golf paid a company then-controlled by GOP Chairman Joseph Cairo $922,800 from 1999 to 2014 for work done on the course. Cairo was not the chairman of the Nassau GOP committee during this time period, Newsday said. But held the No. 2 position in the party at the time.
Double Eagle Golf sued Hempstead in 2017, saying the town owed them about $776,400 for improvement projects done on the course after superstorm Sandy. The town responded, saying the company was obligated to cover these costs, according to court records.
“I became aware that according to sworn testimony, the principal of Double Eagle was a client of Mr. Cairo’s and had never run a golf course, but was given a lucrative contract by the town to manage Lido golf,” Gillen said in a court affidavit filed on. Oct. 25.
Cairo called Gillen’s affidavit “purely political,” according to Newsday.
Lawyers representing Hempstead reached a settlement with Double Eagle in April and had been awaiting approval to pay a $85,000 settlement from the Town Board.
Gillen thanked the Republican Town Board for voting against the settlement.
“I would like to thank my fellow Town Board members for voting no on item 40,” she said. “I think that was a great move. I’m very happy we all agreed on that.”
“That’s what we do. When something is right that’s what we do.” Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby said in response to Gillen.
