Culture of Crookhaven

Yet another crook in Crookhaven.

Suffolk District Attorney Tom Spota netted another in his investigation of political corruption in the Town of Brookhaven, which has already produced the conviction of a former county legislator, and the recent trial of former Highway Superintendent Patricia Strebel.

The latest to admit wrongdoing is Theodore Rickman, a zoning board member and town Republican official, who pleaded guilty to shaking down a builder for cash bribes in exchange for favorable zoning rulings.

But Rickman's attorney, John Ray, shared the headlines by ironically defending his client's bribe-taking, saying that Rickman believed he "was in an atmosphere and culture in which that behavior was accepted...the culture in what is known as 'Crookhaven.'"

Sure, Crookhaven is a catchy phrase. But it's not fair to tar the town and its public employees with the same brush. To their credit, town board members have endorsed changes in Brookhaven's ethics code to prevent key office holders from also keeping leadership jobs in political parties. Civic groups are also calling for better screening to make sure qualified people are appointed to zoning boards.

With growing public outrage, and continued pressure from Spota's investigators, the political culture of Brookhaven is bound to change.