A second official at the Brooklyn office of the Board of Elections was suspended on Thursday. It's the latest fallout stemming from a massive voter purge before New York State’s presidential primary last month.
Betty Ann Canizio, the Deputy Clerk at the Brooklyn borough office, was suspended effective immediately without pay, while an investigation into problems at poll sites on Primary day continues. Canizio is a protégé of Brooklyn Democratic party leader Frank Seddio.
Canizio, who makes $117,875 a year, had already received a warning letter from the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board in March because a subordinate was driving her to work. The letter was made public with Canizio’s permission last month as a warning to other public servants.
Reached for comment late Thursday morning, Canizio told WNYC this was the first she was hearing of the news and had no further comment.
Executive Director Michael Ryan made the announcement at the end of Thursday's hearing. He said the commissioners voted to suspend Canizio at their meeting on Tuesday but asked Ryan to inform her personally before making the news public.
The Brooklyn Board of Elections office has been under scrutiny since reports surfaced of widespread irregularities at the polls during New York's presidential primaries. WNYC reported that 126,000 voters were dropped from the registration rolls in the months leading up to the vote, according to data supplied by the Board. On Thursday, Ryan updated that figure to be 123,000 Brooklyn voters.
The Board itself is trying to determine the cause of the voter purge. It is also cooperating with an investigation by the State Attorney General’s Office, according to Ryan.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer is also auditing the agency.
The latest personnel move comes nearly two weeks after the board suspended chief clerk Diane Haslett-Rudiano, a Republican.
The suspensions are not terminations and can last as long as the investigation continues.
This story has been changed to reflect that Canizio's suspension was announced at Thursday's Board of Elections meeting. It also includes updated data saying that 123,000 Brooklyn voters were purged from the rolls.