A lawsuit over a disputed road project through county-owned Gonzaga Park is drawing renewed attention just days before voters head to the polls in Orange County.

Civil-rights attorney Michael Sussman, a Democrat running against Republican incumbent County Executive Steve Neuhaus, is accusing the longtime Republican leader of lying about his role in the controversy — alleging ethical lapses tied to a lawsuit that claims South Blooming Grove built a road through county parkland without permission.

In an interview with News 12 about his bid for county executive, Sussman said the incumbent is misleading the public about the case.

“These gentlemen went with money to the county executive’s office and that’s what’s shown in the text messages and documents that are public record. They’re right here,” Sussman said.

Court filings, photos and text messages obtained by News 12, as part of the lawsuit, show South Blooming Grove leaders discussing offers of campaign contributions, cigars and meals around the same time as the visit.

Neuhaus acknowledges the messages, telling News 12 he was being “friendly.”

"Unbeknownst to us, they started building the road in the park and then informed us after the fact,” Neuhaus said.

According to Orange County Attorney Rick Golden, the clear-cutting within Gonzaga Park likely occurred between August and September 2022.

Neuhaus toured the site the following month - in October 2022 - after the county executive says village officials requested a meeting about park boundaries and safety improvements along Route 208. He says the visit was a standard on-site inspection and that he believed the construction taking place nearby was outside county property.

“You can see them riding through the deforested area at Gonzaga Park - text messages saying it was a pleasure and they’d have cigars on the mountain,” Sussman said.

Neuhaus says the situation isn’t what Sussman suggests. He tells News 12 the village began work in the park without authorization - and that the county took legal action as soon as it was discovered.

“Every person has come up to me who is politically connected. Why don’t you make a deal with them. Never did. We’re taking them to court,” Neuhaus said.

The county’s lawsuit - filed in January 2023 against the Village of South Blooming Grove and its contractor, Cioffi 1, Inc. - alleges that village officials illegally cleared trees and constructed a road through Gonzaga Park without county or state approval, which is required by law.

The 216-acre park, located along Route 208 near the border of South Blooming Grove and Kiryas Joel, is largely undeveloped and forested with steep terrain. Under New York’s public-trust doctrine, parkland like Gonzaga cannot be developed without approval from the state legislature.

“Even if we wanted to make a deal, it could not be legally done. Our county attorney made that clear - so we filed a lawsuit,” he added.

Neuhaus denies taking any money or giving approvals. He says that when he toured the site, he believed the construction work was outside county park property, and that the lawsuit followed once the county learned the park had been disturbed.

Golden confirmed the county has filed a second lawsuit against the village - this one seeking to stop South Blooming Grove from using eminent domain to seize Gonzaga Park after it launched a proceeding to confiscate the land for the disputed road.

“Opponents were trying to say that’s a deal we were trying to make happen - never was,” Neuhaus said. “Our case is strong, and we think we’ll win it in Supreme Court.”

Gonzaga Park, a former Jesuit retreat purchased by Orange County in 2001, has been designated public parkland for more than 20 years. It spans 216 acres of steep wooded hillsides and open fields, with access points in both Blooming Grove and Monroe.

The litigation remains pending in state court.