The suit claims a Republican county executive's creation of an armed unit of volunteer residents amounts to an “illegal, taxpayer-funded civilian militia.”

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,

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.

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.

Democrats in the Nassau County Legislature sued County Executive Bruce Blakeman over his "provisional special deputies program," a force of armed civilians he could activate in an emergency.

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.”

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