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03-10-09
BREAKING NEWS
MT. VERNON COMPTROLLER CALLS FOR THE REMOVAL OF INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THE RETRACTION OF HIS REPORT

Maureen Walker (l) pictured with Tim Idoni and Janet DiFiori at the Mount Vernon Boy's & Girls Club 96th anniversary celebration.

     At a press conference held at her attorneys’ offices today, responding to the Inspector General’s January 2009 report accusing her of misconduct, Mount Vernon City Comptroller, Maureen Walker, called for the removal of the Mount Vernon Inspector General, Harold Stokes, and the retraction of his report.
     “Over the last eight weeks, my very capable attorneys and I have been working to respond to these unfounded allegations” commented Mount Vernon City Comptroller, Maureen Walker, “with documented and factual evidence we have discredited the allegations made by the Inspector General.”  Attached to the press release is a copy of the attorney’s detailed conclusions.
     Based upon a review of the Inspector General’s report issued in January of this year by the Comptroller’s attorneys, George Fufidio and John DiBlasi, they not only found the allegations against the Comptroller in the report to be baseless but that the Inspector General is not qualified to hold his position based upon the laws of the City of Mount Vernon. Further, their investigation also revealed that the Inspector General has a potential conflict of interest and raised other ethical issues based upon his prior business association with the law firm of Deveraux Cannick, the Chair of the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee. The relationship between Mr. Cannick and the Inspector General was first reported by Glen Blain of the Journal News in an article not related to the Comptroller, dated April 25, 2008.
     “Mr. Stokes is not only not qualified to hold his position by the laws of the City of Mount Vernon, but he lacks any of the experience that would be required for a person to conduct the investigation which is the subject of the report” commented John DiBlasi, one of the Comptroller’s attorneys. “His prior business association with the Chair of the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee, who wields considerable power in the nomination of elected officials in the City, creates a real question of a conflict of interest, ethical issues, and the appearance of impropriety. This also gives rise to the question as to whether he disclosed this in his employment application with the City. There is no question that the Mayor should remove him from his position and direct that his report be retracted.”
     A FOIL request served upon the Mount Vernon Department of Civil Service, Mayor and Corporation Counsel’s office seeking the Inspector General’s application for employment, resume, personnel change form, and financial disclosure statement, had not been responded to, as required by law, at the time of this press release.
     “The allegations made against the Comptroller lack any basis in law and fact, and the only conclusion anyone could reach is that the Inspector General’s report is politically motivated” commented attorney George Fufidio, “there was a complete failure by the Inspector General to use valid investigative techniques, and a demonstrated lack of understanding of the Comptroller’s powers under the City Charter, and the financial reports he claims to have reviewed. His reckless disregard for the truth has tarnished the unblemished reputation of a distinguished public official and he should be removed and the report retracted”
     In commenting on the report the Comptroller, Maureen Walker stated, “My attorneys have done an excellent job in exposing the Inspector General’s lack of qualifications for the position he now holds and his lack of knowledge and expertise to conduct the investigation he undertook. Their research also exposed the Inspector General’s business affiliation with the now Chair of the Democratic City Committee which raises very serious ethical issues. The Inspector General’s report not only lacks credibility but it appears that he has knowingly used inaccurate information to arrive at conclusions made in his report solely to damage my reputation for political reasons”.   
     Mr. Stokes was appointed to the position of Inspector General by Mayor Clinton I. Young in January 2008.