“How much is this costing the taxpayers of Yonkers? The Council President is leaving office in a few weeks. This is a baseless fishing expedition based on rumor, suspicion and inneuendo,” Randolph McLaughlin, attorney for Council President Mike Khader
McLaughlin vs McLaughlin
By Dan Murphy
The front page of the Journal News on Nov. 29 featured a story on the continuation of an investigation into Yonkers City Council President Mike Khader. The story, which appeared above the fold in the feature story location, provided little new in details about the allegations made against Khader, who lost the democratic primary in June and will be leaving office on Dec. 31.
The story did include the fact that Judge Joan Lefkowitz ruled that the investigation into Khader by Yonkers Inspector General Liam McLaughlin could continue. But Lefkowitz cancelled supboenas issued for Khader’s income tax records and bank records, after Khader’s attorney, Randolph McLaughlin, (no relation to the IG) filed a motion to squash them.
We spoke to Randolph McLaughlin, attorney for Council President Khader, who was annoyed at the Journal News story, but also the fact that an investigation which he believes has little merit is continuing, as Khader is about to leave office in four weeks.
Randolph McLaughlin’s harshest words were for Insepctor General Liam McLaughlin “The Inspector General is operating on rumor, suspicion and innuendo. The Judge squashed the subpoenas and there is no basis to continue. He’s on a fishing expedition and my client is leaving office in a few week, but has a long career ahead of him. This continued effort to kneecap my client is nothing but raw, naked politics in Yonkers. There is no cloud over Mr. Khader, just backroom suspicion.”
The accusations against Khader, which came out a few weeks before the democratic primary for council president, between Khader and Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, focused on two accusations: One that Khader benefitted improperly from an agreement to rent office space from attorney Jeffrey Buss, who was later appointed counsel for the City Council; and that Khader had improperly treated female staff members, specifically an accusation from Karen Schullere.
Khader ended up losing the democratic primary to Collins-Bellamy, and IG McLaughlin decided to hire outside counsel to proceed with an investigation of Khader, because of a conflict bewteen IG McLaughlin and Khader based on the fact that Khader defeated McLaughlin in 2017 for City Council President.
But Randolph McLaughlin thought that IG McLaughin’s recusing himself from the Khader investigation was odd and wanted more information. “The IG removed himself because of a conflict. What is that conflict? Is there something that we don’t know? Was it some smoke filled room where someone had a beef with Mr. Khader? We would like the IG to sit for a deposition so we can ask him why are you spending tax payer monies to fight us and continue with an investigation that has no subpoena power and is based on a council president that will be out of office in a few weeks?”
In the Journal News story, IG McLaughin confirmed that his office was proceeding with the investigation. “We need to be diligent on these things. If someone did do that, they need to be held accountable and if he didn’t, then fair enough and that should come out as well,” said McLaughlin in the LoHud.com story, adding about the requested, supboenaed information, “Why not just provide that information, if you did nothing wrong, then what are you hiding from.”
Randolph McLaughlin responded to IG McLaughlin’s request for records by saying “There is no longer a subpoena for Mr. Khader to produce records because the Judge threw it out, and we are not going to cooperate with a baseless and meritless investigation. The Inspector General, or the law firm that he hired at taxpayers expense to handle this case, could have issued another subpoena, but they never did. I wonder why?”
“How much money is this costing the taxpayers about an official that is leaving office in a few weeks? We have yet to see a report, or statements from anyone in Yonkers government about what they are investigating. Now this is about pursuing an elected official out of office. This is the political kneecapping of someone who was the IG’s political opponent. This is Yonkers politics at its worst,” said Randolph McLaughlin.
Usually, the Inspector General issues a report based on their investigation and findings. That report has yet to be issued.
The only piece of new information in the Journal News story was that Khader had contacted the Yonkers Democratic Party and Chair Tom Meier to inquire about running for City Court Judge next year. We spoke to Meier, who said that while Khader has inquired about the race for City Court Judge, he later withdrew his name from consideration. Meier also said that 14 other Yonkers democrats are interested in filling the vacancy to replace Judge Tom Quinones, who was elected to State Supreme Court.
One Yonkers democrat who read the Journal News story about Khader, McLaughlin and McLaughlin said, “this could backfire and make Khader look sympathatic. He is out of the picture in three weeks.”
Others believe that Khader will try and make a return to political life soon. He has $117,000 remaining in his
campaign account.
