A call is being made for an investigation into how the Town of Hempstead spent millions of COVID-19 emergency funds.

Hempstead is the largest town in the country, and it received about $133 million in relief from the CARES Act.

But a group of lawmakers, including Rep. Kathleen Rice, says even though the town did spend millions on relief programs, they claim nearly $70 million was allocated to departments or programs that had little or no connection to COVID-19 relief.

"Why is he spending millions on contracts to update upgrade toilets in Town Hall? And tens of millions on departments that play little to no roll in pandemic emergency response?" says Nassau Executive Laura Curran.

Curran says the town gave $43 million to the Sanitation Department and millions to other departments, such as the Bay Constables. Rice and others are calling for a federal or a state investigation.

"My hope is that this investigation is done expeditiously before this money disappears," says Rice.

Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin strongly disagrees with these charges, saying all the money has been used appropriately.

"The town has been nothing but open and transparent in a bipartisan fashion, where Republicans and Democrats have shown you where all the money has gone," says Clavin.

In a separate press event, Clavin said the town was using the money for COVID-19 relief but wouldn't explain why the Sanitation Department needed the $43 million.

Lawmakers say the town needed to allocate the money before the end of the year or it would have been forfeited back to Washington.