RECAP: Riverhead supervisor kicks off meeting with an apology

Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter publicly apologized to Councilwoman Jodi Giglio at the start of Tuesday’s Town Board meeting for a tirade he launched against her last Thursday after a closed-door executive session.

Mr. Walter kicked off Tuesday’s meeting by saying, “When you are a public figure, sometimes you have public things come out that you don’t want to come out. So, obviously, I said some words that I regret, so I’m sitting here … and even up to today, I was like, ‘I’m not apologizing.’ ”

He then read aloud in Town Hall a verse from the Bible, Matthew 7, about not judging others.

“Jodi I am so sorry,” he then said. “I was out of line. I shouldn’t have done it. Quite frankly, every once in an while, you’ve got to go into the Bible. I apologize. Now the town should move forward with the business at hand, and hopefully, this is over. I hope you accept my apology.”

Ms. Giglio, who did not at all smile during the supervisor’s speech, said only, “I think it’s nice. I think it’s a private matter and I think we should move on with the Town Board meeting.”

“Agreed,” Mr. Walter quickly said, and the board moved on with the meeting.

Councilmen George Gabrielsen and John Dunleavy, who witnessed last week’s exchange, said the supervisor yelled and cursed at her and threatened to end her political career.

Mr. Walter said it was Mr. Gabrielsen who convinced him to apologize.

Earlier in the week, Mr. Gabrielsen told the News-Review that he thought Mr. Walter should be made to apologize or be reprimanded.

On Monday, when asked if he planned to apologize to Ms. Giglio, as Mr. Gabrielsen suggested,  Mr. Walter said, “I’m going to stay positive and move our agenda forward.”

The Riverhead Town Board met at  7 p.m. Tuesday night.

News-Review reporter Tim Gannon reported live from Town Hall.

Click on the blog below to see what happened at the meeting.

See Thursday’s News-Review newspaper for additional coverage.