"It's meaningless and empty when people who you've paid millions of dollars to for bad legal advice give you an award," said Tom Murphy, a village trustee backing Savolt's campaign. "It's ridiculous."

Plunkett represented the village in a case the village lost against the Westchester Day School. Aside from being a former village mayor and a Republican strategist, Noto has represented numerous development properties in the village.

Trifiletti, who called the endorsement an honor, immediately dismissed the allegations.

"Kathy Savolt thinks the League of Conservation Voters would endorse someone because of who they're affiliated with?" Trifiletti said. "That's an outright lie."

Both Plunkett and Noto said they did not participate in the endorsement process.

"For someone to insinuate this is insulting to the League of Conservation Voters board," Plunkett said. "I think it would be a mistake to impugn their integrity."

Noto also wondered why Savolt would make the allegation when, he said, she too sought the league's endorsement.

According to Josh Klainberg, the league's state deputy director who was involved in endorsing Trifiletti, the county chapters play a small role in the process. The state chapter is the one that actually evaluates the candidates and issues the endorsement.