A Nassau Republican is crying foul after County Executive Laura Curran's husband was hired by the MTA board.

Curran's husband, John Curran, was appointed to be counsel for the MTA Board of Directors. His firm is being retained with a cap on contract of $240,000 annually. 

Republican Legislator Steve Rhoads says that presents a conflict of interest and is questioning if the county executive can be fair when it comes to issues concerning the Long Island Rail Road.

"The concern that I have is that the county executive has come out strongly against patronage and nepotism, but it seems as though she doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned about it if there's an opportunity for her family to profit from it," he says.

A spokesperson for Curran sent News 12 a statement saying, "John Curran is an established professional attorney in the field of white-collar and security investigations. There are very clear rules about conflicts of interest in his legal ethics and the MTA board's ethics."

"As a former federal prosecutor for over a decade, counsel for national security affairs at the FBI and managing director at a global risk management firm, John Curran is eminently qualified to help the Board navigate the complex issues facing the MTA at this important time in its history," said MTA chairman and CEO Pat Foye, in a statement. "We look forward to working with him."