Exclusive: Petition shows 91 signatures tied to 2 private schools and 2 homes in South Blooming Grove election
State Sen. James Skoufis, who chairs the Senate Investigations Committee, also investigated the election after receiving complaints from residents who said they had no idea a vote was happening.
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South Blooming Grove’s controversial October election is facing new scrutiny after a newly released nominating petition, and five months of recently posted board meeting minutes, raise serious questions about how village leaders handled the little-known vote.
The petition was obtained through a Freedom of Information request by local activist and Town of Blooming Grove resident Bonnie Rum. It shows that 91 signatures used to nominate the mayor and two trustees for reelection all trace back to just four addresses — two of which are private religious schools and two are single-family homes, a News 12 investigation found.
The petition lists 56 signatures tied to Yeshiva Bnos Ahvra Israel on Sleepy Hollow Road and 21 more are associated with a second religious school on Route 208, Yeshiva Toras Chaim. Under New York Election Law, signers on a nominating petition must list their true residence address — the place where they actually live — not a school, business, or institution where no one resides.
News 12 reached out to Yeshiva Toras Chaim for information but has not received a response. We spoke a man who identified himself as the owner of Yeshiva Toras Chaim by phone but he refused to say if the private school has residential housing or if anyone of a voting age permanently resides there.
“It’s a bunch of lies. I think this was all made up,” Rum told News 12, adding that she does not believe the voters listed actually live at the addresses used.
Rum filed the FOIL request after learning that village officials held the election Oct. 22 -- five months earlier than residents expected, without any social media posts, emails, texts or public outreach.
State Sen. James Skoufis, who chairs the Senate Investigations Committee, also investigated the election after receiving complaints from residents who said they had no idea a vote was happening.
“No social media posts, no emails, no texts. Nothing. Nada,” Skoufis said.
Skoufis says the village’s lack of notice prevented residents and potential challengers from participating, calling the October vote deeply troubling. He has since referred the case to the New York Attorney General to seek an invalidation of the results.
“These unseemly petitions underscore what we already know: The Oct. 22 election was a sham. Voters in South Blooming Grove deserve a real election — not an orchestrated coverup. The only way to ensure democracy is protected for local residents is with an invalidation of the election results,” Skoufis said in a statement to News 12.
News 12 visited all four addresses listed in the petition. Property records confirm two are private religious schools, and two are single-family homes.
Village officials have not responded to repeated requests for information or comment.
The New York Attorney General’s Office confirms it is reviewing how the election was handled.
News 12 will continue investigating the newly posted meeting minutes and the village’s handling of the October election, with a separate report airing Friday night.
