Madeline Singas

Nassau County District Attorney

Halfway through her first term as DA, Madeline Singas has used her prosecutorial powers to deliver on her campaign promise to be tough on corruption, indicting Oyster Bay town officials on a slew of charges and recently arresting a Board of Elections worker on allegations of altering sample ballots in a Republican primary last year. While the career prosecutor continues to take on criminals of all forms and ensure that no Long Islander — no matter their title or connections —is above the law, she’s also been busy with cases big and small against drug dealers and gang members, including a massive joint investigation that brought down the top MS-13 member for the northeast. The legislature finally did approve the creation of an independent inspector general tasked with probing waste and fraud in the contracting process, following a two-year push from Singas and Democratic legislators. That followed the high-profile conviction and upcoming retrial of ex-New York State Sen. Dean Skelos, who prosecutors alleged manipulated Nassau’s beleaguered contracting system for personal gain. Of course, in the criminal justice system, the scales of justice ensure that prosecutors’ powers are not absolute, and several juries have acquitted defendants in a few high-profile cases. No DA has 100-percent conviction rate. But Singas gives 100-percent to every case her office tries nonetheless.