Orange County Legislature Chair Tautel Investigated After Allegedly Shoving Staffer

Laurie Tautel, chairwoman of the Orange County Legislature and representative of Highland Falls, is the subject of an internal county investigation after a legislative staffer filed a complaint alleging Tautel physically shoved the employee following a legislative meeting late last month, several sources confirmed to Mid-Hudson News.

Sources said Tautel allegedly pushed the staffer in front of office staffers because the employee was "pestering" her about a legislative matter. The victim subsequently filed a complaint with Human Resources, prompting the county's HR office to launch a formal investigation into the incident.

Tautel declined to comment Tuesday night. Orange County Human Resources Commissioner Langdon Chapman did not immediately return a message seeking comment. The county typically does not comment on personnel matters, and no further public statement has been issued by county officials.

No criminal charges have been filed and no law enforcement involvement has been reported in connection with the incident. The investigation remains internal, conducted through the county's Human Resources office. Details about the scope, timeline, or potential disciplinary outcomes of that investigation have not been made public.

The allegations carry particular weight given Tautel's position atop the legislature. She is the first Democrat to hold the chairwoman position since the late Roxanne Donnery, of Highland Falls, who was elected to the post in 2009. Both Donnery and Tautel represent the same Highland Falls district, a coincidence that underscores the historically rare nature of Democratic leadership in the county legislature.

Key questions remain unanswered: the specific legislative matter at the center of the dispute has not been identified, the staffer who filed the complaint has not been named, and no witnesses beyond unnamed office staffers have been identified on the record. Whether Chapman's office or Tautel's office will issue formal statements as the investigation proceeds remains to be seen.