Several changes are under consideration, including new limits on speaking times that would replace an open discussion portion of the debate where candidates have traditionally been encouraged to freely engage, according to two people with knowledge of the commission’s discussions on Wednesday.



The commission is also weighing whether to grant moderators the power to shut off a candidate’s microphone to help restore order, the people said, although both cautioned that those discussions were in a preliminary phase.

Cutting off a microphone, although widely prescribed on social media as a remedy to Tuesday’s problems, can be complex from a television production standpoint and may not prevent a candidate from continuing to speak in the debate hall.



Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign’s communications director, also issued a statement on Wednesday about the commission’s plan to change its rules, saying, “President Trump was the dominant force and now Joe Biden is trying to work the refs.”

“They shouldn’t be moving the goal posts and changing the rules in the middle of the game,” Mr. Murtaugh said.

By Lisa Finn, Patch Staff
Verified Patch Staff Badge
Sep 29, 2020 9:23 am ET
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Updated Sep 29, 2020 5:09 pm ET

SOUND BEACH, NY — A man who ran a human sex trafficking operation out of the basement of his parents' home was sentenced to prison Tuesday, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini.



In February, Raymond Rodio III, 49, pleaded guilty to human trafficking over a period of several years, Sini said. On Tuesday, he was sentenced by Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Mark Cohen to nine and a half years in prison with five years of post-release supervision on the top count in the indictment.

"This defendant had a sex dungeon in his parents' home and forced women into sex slavery," Sini said. "He pleaded guilty because the evidence was overwhelming thanks to the team who investigated and prosecuted this case, and today he met his fate."



Further investigation revealed that Rodio had been conducting a human trafficking operation out of the basement of his parents' residence, located on Lower Rocky Point Road in Sound Beach, since as early as 2014, Sini said. The investigation identified more than 20 individuals associated with Rodio's sex trafficking operation, Sini said.

Rodio would post advertisements on websites, including Backpage and Craigslist, promoting prostitution, and would keep either a large percentage or all of the profits of the prostitution, Sini said.

The investigation also revealed evidence that Rodio would occasionally keep the women in the basement for extended periods of time and force them to use a bucket as a toilet because the basement did not have a bathroom, Sini said. The door to the basement had an exterior lock to which Rodio had the only key, Sini said. In addition to the house, Rodio also forced the individuals to perform prostitution at various motels throughout Suffolk County, Sini said.



Last week, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said indictments related to human trafficking were up 900 percent countywide.