Following investigative news reports and official findings from the Yonkers’ Inspector General, the Westchester Board of Legislators (BOL) will vote to remove Majority Leader Christopher Johnson from his leadership position because of his fraudulent claims about his residency.
Bad news for Johnson
In May 2023, David McKay Wilson from Journal News/LoHud broke the story that Johnson had signed mortgage documents on a home outside of his legislative district. Furthermore, Johnson retained conflicting residency documents at a condo he purchased under an affordable housing program in 2010. With both his qualification for office and tax rebate eligibility in dispute, a call was made to the Yonkers Inspector General, Liam McLaughlin, to investigate.
Johnson had immediately and vociferously pushed back against this investigation. He portrayed the process as a political assassination attempt considering primary elections were only one month away. Not only is Johnson politically at-odds with his former Republican colleague on the City Council, Liam McLaughlin, but Johnson and McLaughlin’s boss, Mayor Mike Spano, also have an adversarial relationship. Compounding this, the upcoming primary election would see Johnson challenged by Spano-backed council member Shanae Williams.
On Friday, June 30th, just three days after Johnson lost the Democratic primary to Williams, the IG released their official report. This report affirms the allegations in the news that Johnson had improperly maintained two primary residences since June 2022. And now, the legislative body which he holds a leadership position over, may remove him from that authority.
Fit to be leader?
Per the BOL’s bylaws, the 17-member body can hold a vote requiring only a simple majority to immediately remove Johnson as Majority Leader.
Oddly, a similar vote to remove a member from leadership almost occurred three months ago. The former Chair of the BOL, Catherine Borgia, was faced with an impending vote to remove and instead resigned only moments before. Borgia was to be held accountable for negligence during the investigation over the now-indicted alleged child sex predator, Anand Singh.
The vote to remove Johnson as Majority Leader is expected to occur early next week. A subsequent vote to fill that vacancy will be called later in the week.
Removed regardless
With the matter of Johnson as Majority Leader all but settled, his eligibility to even hold his legislator position is still in debate. The Law Department of Westchester County government is presently researching the lawfulness of Johnson serving a district in which he no longer resides. Meaning, Johnson may be evicted from the BOL by dint of his own action of moving across town.
In this potentiality, the vacancy will be filled by appointment. This appointee will serve until “an individual is certified by the Board of Elections to be County Legislator-elect for that legislative district as a result of the general election.” Meaning, either Shanae Williams or Debbie Kozak could assume that office before the new term officially begins.
Suffice to say, there are more questions than answers regarding the fate of Johnson and the representation of the 16th legislative district. And in the coming weeks and months as this scandal abates, legislators are holding their breath that some yet-unknown impropriety doesn’t further consume them.
