Pleads Guilty to Campaign Cash Theft
By Dan Murphy
On June 8, Mt. Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas walked into County Court in White Plains and pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of misuse of campaign funds. Thomas admitted that he illegally misused $19,400 in campaign funds for personal use, and other improper means, and in exchange avoided a felony conviction and possible jail time.
As part of his guilty plea, Thomas must resign as mayor by Sept. 30. Supreme Court Judge Barry Warhit sentenced him to the reduced charge and a $13,000 fine. At 36 years of age, Thomas becomes both Mt. Vernon’s youngest mayor, and a mayor who resigns in disgrace.
Thomas was charged last year by former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on felony charges. After Schneiderman resigned his position following accusations of abusing women, Thomas tried to claim his arrest was a political witch hunt against him.
In the charges against Thomas, Schneiderman stated that Thomas “stole” from his campaign funds. Current AG Letitia James commented on Thomas’ plea, saying: “By using campaign funds to line his own pockets, Thomas broke the law and violated public trust. New Yorkers put their faith in our public servants, and Thomas’ gross violation of that faith constitutes the utmost disloyalty to those he was sworn to serve.”
DiNapoli said Thomas had misused the money “to fund his lifestyle instead of funding his campaign.”
Thomas stated in court that if he didn’t have young children, he would have fought the charges. “I just want to thank God for closing a door, a door that would have led to a place that could have been far worse than the outcome of today,” he said outside the courtroom.
City Council President Andre Wallace will hold the mayor’s seat for the rest of 2019, once Thomas resigns. Shawn Patterson-Howard, who won the democratic primary June 25 for mayor, said the outcome is a positive development for Mt. Vernonites “who are committed to moving forward and building an effective and reliable government.”
“Right now, I’m focused on the general election Nov. 5, where I will face both Conservative and Republican candidates in a race that will determine the future of our city,” said Patterson-Howard. “Until the beginning of the next administration, the government’s work must continue. The residents of Mt. Vernon deserve broad and consistent access to the services of the city. We must remain focused on uniting and healing in order to make real progress in Mt. Vernon.”
Patterson-Howard will face Wallace, who is running on the republican line, and Rosemarie Jarosz, running on the conservative line in November. Thomas finished second to Patterson-Howard in the primary, and for the democrats who voted for him last month, his admission of guilt marks a sad day for the city.
The crimes Thomas committed included the misuse of $2,000 to buy a handbag for his wife, using campaign funds for family vacations, personal credit card reimbursements, and payment of tuition bills, and payments to family members for no-show work.
Thomas was not charged with a variety of other alleged crimes, including the misuse of his inauguration committee and its bank accounts, and payments given to him by Joseph Spiezio.
Spiezio, who was not charged, was given a ceremonial position of deputy police commissioner by Thomas. Financial records uncovered by the attorney general found personal loans and repayments of Thomas’ credit cards by Spiezio.
Hezi Aris from the Yonkers Tribune broke the story a day before Thomas’ guilty plea. Black Westchester Magazine has called for a further investigation into Thomas’ shady dealings and his relationship with Spiezio.
