"THE CABAL"
Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee Chairman Devereaux Cannick
Mayor and MVDCC Executive Committee member Clinton Young
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County Legislator and MVDCC Executive Committee member Lyndon Williams
Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee 2nd Vice Chairman Ronald Detres
District Leader Kenneth Plummer of Kensworth Consulting
"One Mount Vernon" candidates from L to R Jennifer Anne Sampson, Debra Stern, Eileen Justino
On Thursday December 17th, 2009 the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee (MVDCC) held its first meeting since the nominating convention back in the spring. The attendance was overwhelming, despite the meeting being held on a very cold night and also taking place one week before Christmas.
Chairman Devereaux Cannick opened the meeting. After he was finished speaking, former Democratic Chairman and Water Commissioner David Ford took the floor. Mr. Ford without any hesitation asked for Cannick’s resignation as well as others on the Executive Committee for several reasons. Mr. Ford explained that while Cannick was in the driver’s seat, the MVDCC has become the laughingstock of the entire County of Westchester and even throughout New York State. Ford also told Cannick about the “One Mount Vernon” line that was created when the courts ruled that the candidates endorsed by the MVDCC petitions were fatally flawed.
Cannick struck back by stating that he had nothing to do with the creation of the “One Mount Vernon”, line. Ford and several others mentioned to Cannick that his name appeared on the Committee to fill vacancies along with 2nd Vice Chairman Ronald Detres, and Beretha Elkins, a district leader hired by Mayor Young to work under the leadership of his younger sister Mary Young in City Hall. Cannick responded that he did not give anyone permission to use his name for the Committee to Fill vacancies. The entire room was in suspense and was confused.
After Mr. Ford spoke, Councilman Steve Horton took the floor and supported Mr. Ford’s call for the immediate resignation of Cannick and his rogue followers. District Leaders, who in the past had differences, were uniting for a common cause. They were coming together to overthrow the scandalous leadership of the MVDCC. Cannick responded by stating that he would resign when he felt the time was right, but emphasized that it would be in the very near future. Cannick during his remarks, tried to convince the district leaders that the party is going to suffer without him in the driver’s seat. District Leaders were not feeding into his propaganda and remained vigilant in their quest for an immediate changing of the guard. It is alleged that Cannick will resign as soon as the low income project being proposed on Gramatan Avenue is approved by City Officials.
Mount Vernon Exposed last week reported that it is alleged the Chairman Devereaux Cannick, Edward Dowdy, who is also on the Executive Committee, Jamie Dickerson, and Kenneth Plummer have joined forces to start a consulting firm to “usher” development projects through City Hall. In return, they would reap huge financial rewards. One development project already on the table is the controversial low income development project being proposed by Atlantic/Kenwood Development on Gramatan Avenue across from Hartley Park. The United States Attorney’s Office has been asked to intervene and investigate the above mentioned allegations of racketeering and bribery.
While all of this was going on, County Legislator Lyndon Williams walked in the room. Williams quickly took the floor and tried to divert everyone’s attention away from the subject at hand. Williams began by stating that he was named Vice-Chairman of the Board of Legislators the previous evening and spoke of a long list of things that he had in the works and things that he wanted to achieve during his second term. While William’s speech would have been appropriate at the end of the meeting, many district leaders had taken offense because Williams did not acknowledge the cause of the present state of disarray at the MVDCC nor did he address the issue.
After Williams started speaking district leader Samuel Rivers, realized Williams was changing the subject from the issue of leadership resignation to another topic that was not relevant at the present moment. At first Williams thought, Rivers had a question for him. Rivers stated that we must not stray away from the topic of new leadership and it would not be a good idea to go into the New Year with the current leadership and if possible it would be wise to hold a special election that evening. Commissioner Ford quickly responded that a special election cannot be held and that the only way to replace the leadership is by resignation.
While Ford was speaking, 2nd Vice Chairman Ron Detres and his wife, Corporation Counsel Loretta Hottinger strolled into the room. Detres took up cover in the corner of the room trying not to attract much attention to him. After all he is one of the culprits that are responsible for the way the MVDCC is today.
Finally, City Council President William Randolph took the floor and also stated that the time has come to change the leadership in the MVDCC. Randolph stated that he hears from all over, especially throughout Westchester County Government, where he has held a high ranking position within the Spano administration, that the MVDCC is looked at as a joke. Randolph was also angered about a press release that was sent out by the Mayor’s Office calling him and Comptroller Maureen Walker obstructionist and that they are the reasons that the 2010 budget is being delayed. Randolph simply stated that the Mayor could have picked up the phone and let him and the Comptroller know that he was going to trash them in a press release instead of Randolph receiving the notice by email. Randolph further stated that he did not agree with the way that the Mayor is going about reducing positions at City Hall. District Leaders assumed Randolph was referring to the retaliatory slashing of 1st Assistant Corporation Counsel Nichelle Johnson’s position. Johnson ran against party backed candidate Helen Blackwood for City Court Judge. Mayor Young was alleged to be heard cursing and yelling at the top of his lungs when Randolph asked the Mayor about the elimination of Johnson’s position. The Mayor further ranted on that he needed someone he can trust. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence can assume that the Mayor needs an attorney with whom he can steal with and wouldn’t question his perfidious motives. The arrogance and selfishness of Mayor Young is the reason why Mount Vernon is stagnated and viewed as a joke throughout the State of New York.
Democratic Nominating Petitions
The nominating petitions for 2009 for City Council candidates were fatally flawed. The petition failed to indicate which candidate was running for the shorter, unexpired term. 2nd Vice-Chairman Ronald Detres is usually charged with the responsibility with putting the petitions together. During our investigation, we have interviewed several witnesses, including other bosses from other political parties in Mount Vernon and we have learned that this error was brought to Detres’ attention long before the deadline for submitting the nominating petitions. Mount Vernon Exposed has even learned that 1st Chairman Reginald Lafayette heard about the mistake, reached out the Dems in Mount Vernon and even offered to send someone down to make sure the petitions were in order.
Detres and other figureheads in Mount Vernon refused Lafayette’s help and even referred to him as “the enemy’. It was also reported that the MVDCC even banned Commissioner David Ford from the MVDCC headquarters during the election process The MVDCC isolated themselves from two individuals who could have spotted this mistake a mile away. Chairman Devereaux Cannick during the meeting held at headquarters on December 17th, 2009, stated that some district leaders knew about the mistake and failed to bring it the attention of the party bosses. As the saying goes, what comes around goes around. The party bosses knew that the nominating convention they held in the spring was illegal and unethical. One can argue that each side is now even with the other.
Democratic Endorsements
Our investigation uncovered disturbing allegations that can be classified as extortion. It is alleged that MVDCC Executive Members conducted the interviews for the party nominations. All of the interviews were conducted by operatives of Mayor Young. During the interviews, it is alleged that they asked City Comptroller candidate Maureen Walker for $50,000, City Judge Candidates were asked for $25,000, and the City Council Candidates were each asked for $15,000. Once the cash was turned over to the MVDCC, they had no intentions of supporting the contributing candidate and they ultimately would use their donation to finance a campaign against said individual. The MVDCC asked for these substantial amounts of cash as a means to intimidate the candidates from running in the Democratic Primary
During a search of financial disclosure reports, Mount Vernon Exposed uncovered some interesting information. The following individuals contributed to the MVDCC this past election cycle.
Payee/Recipient | Amt | Expense Code | Date | Disburser | Filing | Sched | Office | Dist | County |
MOUNT VERNON DEM CITY COMM PO BOX 269 MOUNT VERNON, NY 10551 | 1,800.00 | OTHER - REIMB GOTV | 15-SEP-09 | 2009 Post Primary | F | District Attorney | N/A | Westchester | |
MOUNT VERNON DEM CITY COMM PO BOX 269 MOUNT VERNON, NY 10551 | 300.00 | OTHER - REIMB GOTV | 15-SEP-09 | 2009 Post Primary | F | District Attorney | N/A | Westchester | |
MOUNT VERNON DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE PARK AVENUE MOUNT VERNON, NY 10550 | 5,000.00 | LITER | 01-SEP-09 | 2009 Post Primary | F | Comptroller | N/A | Westchester | |
MOUNT VERNON DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE PARK AVENUE MOUNT VERNON, NY 10550 | 2,250.00 | LITER | 03-SEP-09 | 2009 Post Primary | F | Comptroller | N/A | Westchester | |
MOUNT VERNON DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE 1 PARK PLACE MOUNT VERNON, NY 10550 | 500.00 | PETIT | 09-JUN-09 | 2009 July Periodic | F | City Council | N/A | Westchester | |
MOUNT VERNON DEMOCRATIC COMMITEE ONE PARK AVENUE MOUNT VERNON, NY 10550 | 4,000.00 | CNTRB | 08-NOV-09 | 2009 27 Post General | F | County Executive | N/A | Westchester | |
Total Expenses | 13,850.00 |
Payee/Recipient | Amt | Expense Code | Date | Disburser | Filing | Sched | Office | Dist | County |
MV DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE ONE PARK AVENUE MOUNT VERNON, NY 10550 | 10,000.00 | OTHER - 2009 PRIMARY ELECTION ASSOC COSTS | 02-SEP-09 | 2009 Post Primary | F | City Court Judge | N/A | Westchester | |
Total Expenses | 10,000.00 |
“One Mount Vernon Line”
Mount Vernon Exposed was very intrigued when Chairman Cannick mentioned that he did not authorize his name to be used for the committee to fill vacancies. Mount Vernon Exposed decided to conduct an investigation into the allegations and it did not take much time at all to find out who were the individuals that participated in this heinous act. After interviewing several witnesses, it was determined that Lyndon Williams was the chief architect of this scheme. Williams was also the attorney that represented the “One Mount Vernon” line when other City Council candidates challenged the nominating petitions of the “One Mount Vernon” line.
Mount Vernon Exposed did not feed into Cannick’s propaganda that he had nothing to do with the “One Mount Vernon” Line. After all he is a defense attorney and he is highly trained to convince juries that his clients are innocent even though they may have committed a crime, and that they should be found not guilty based on a technicality. If Cannick had publicly came forward earlier and mentioned that his name was fraudulently used by Williams and Detres, challengers to the petitions could have went to court and have had the entire nominating petition invalidated. This would have spared unwarranted voter confusion this past election season.
It was alleged during our investigation that Cannick was present along with Mayor Young, Detres, and the other conspirators during meetings at MVDCC. It was alleged that meetings were even held at Williams’s residence. It is a violation of NYS Election Law for the MVDCC to allocate funds or commit resources to another party line for the purpose of sabotaging its own candidates. It was also determined that the candidates running on the “One Mount Vernon” line, were indeed perpetrating to voters that they were the Democratic candidates when in fact they were declared ineligible to run in the September Democratic Primary. On the new literature and yard signs that were printed, the “One Mount Vernon” candidates had “DEMOCRAT” printed on the literature in an attempt to further confuse voters. The “One Mount Vernon” candidates even had their “seal of approval” on their literature.
On Election Day, Williams was seen parading around town with porch puppy John Boykin and distributing the “One Mount Vernon” line literature. Williams being on the Executive Committee of the MVDCC and also an attorney, should have known it was a conflict of interest and unethical for him to represent and campaign for the “One Mount Vernon” line candidates. Furthermore, Mount Vernon Exposed believes it is a conflict of interest for any elected official to serve in any capacity as an officer or on the Executive Committee of the MVDCC. It was also reported that Williams was upset the Judge Blackwood was now supporting the Democratic Candidates and not the newly created “One Mount Vernon” line. Williams allegedly told some folks that he no longer wanted his posters or yard signs to appear next to Judge Blackwood’s. If these allegations prove to be true, then Williams must resign as a district leader from the party. Williams was also noticeably missing from the photograph on the palm card with the other Democratic nominees after the September Primary.
Rogue Democratic District Leaders Face Disciplinary Action
Mount Vernon Exposed has learned that several district leaders have filed written complaints with Westchester County Democratic Chairman Reginald Lafayette asking him to bring these rogue agents formally up on charges for not being in sympathy with the principles of the Democratic Party. If the proceedings before Chairman Lafayette or the sub-committee determine that the district leaders are guilty for not being in sympathy with the principles of the Democratic Party, they will be ordered removed from the Board of Elections by a Supreme Court Justice. The conspirators facing removal from the MVDCC are; Chairman Devereaux Cannick, Mayor Clinton Young, 2nd Vice- Chairman Ron Detres, the entire Executive Committee, and the candidates that ran on the “One Mount Vernon” line, Michael Justino, and Kenneth Plummer.
Conclusion
The perpetrators that caused the mass confusion among Mount Vernon voters this past election cycle should resign immediately. Failure to do so will severely impact the quality of life for every Mount Vernon resident. It was stated at the meeting on December 17th, 2009, that the Mayor is the head of the Democratic party. Mayor Young should not have any say so whatsoever about local elections. The City of Mount Vernon under the leadership of Mayor Young has taken 10 steps backwards. Until Mayor Young and his cronies are removed from power, the quality of life in Mount Vernon will continue to deteriorate.
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