Long Island lawmakers have sued Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and a local sheriff for a program sanctioning a taxpayer-funded militia of armed civilians shrouded “in secrecy.” The suit challenges the legality of the “special deputy sheriffs” program announced in March 2024 to public outcry by Blakeman,

Two local lawmakers sued New York’s Nassau County and Executive Bruce Blakeman for creating what they claim is a “taxpayer funded militia” of armed civilians he could call into action to aid the government during emergencies.

Democratic legislators are suing Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman claiming that the Long Island Republican illegally created a tax-payer-funded militia — allegations his office quickly slammed as bogus.

Nassau County Democratic lawmakers argue in their complaint filed Wednesday that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman lacked the legal authority to form a cadre of special sheriff’s deputies with “authority to use deadly force and make arrests under color of law.”

Democrats in suburban New York are suing a Republican county executive over his creation of an armed unit of volunteer residents

CBS New New York's Jennifer McLogan says Democrats want to un-arm Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman's so called "citizen deputies."