Westchester Media Join Coverage of $60,000 Dark Money Transfer to New Rochelle Mayoral Candidate

Written By: Robert Cox

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (June 7, 2023) — The Yonkers Times yesterday and The Journal News today are now reporting on the story we broke over the weekend. Both outlets have added to our original reporting.

Words in Edgewise (Robert Cox) Unprecedented $60,000 Dark Money Infusion for New Rochelle Mayoral Candidate

Talk of the Sound (Robert Cox) Westchester Dems Double Down on Dark Money Transfer into New Rochelle Mayoral Race

Here are the highlights with quotations and new details:

Yonkers Times (Dan Murphy): Who “Laundered” $60,000 To Get To New Rochelle Mayoral Candidate Yadira Ramos-Herbert’s Campaign? (free)

Maher called the $60,000 transfer “money laundering” into Ramos-Herbert’s campaign, adding “Who doesn’t want me elected?”

Damon Maher: “I originally thought it was a typo, and that the correct transfer-donation was $6,000 or $600, but it was $60,000. I guess they are afraid of my campaign, and the fact that we are knocking on thousands of doors and getting our message out. If I had received this type of donation, I would want to know where it came from. I don’t take donations from developers doing business with the city or with unions that have employees in the city.”

Anonymous Democrat 1: “people are worried that Maher can win the Primary.”

Anonymous Democrat 2: “democrats are in a panic” (over the race for New Rochelle Mayor).

Anonymous Democrat 3: “this is not how democrats win elections, in Westchester or anywhere.”

Anonymous Westchester Progressive: “is this how progressive democrats are winning elections in Westchester now? By grabbing money from anyone, anywhere?”

Maher has raised $10,000 for his campaign.

The Journal News (David McKay Wilson): Westchester Democrats won’t disclose source of $60K donation in New Rochelle mayoral race (paywall)

Damon Maher: The Westchester County Democratic Committee should make an immediate disclosure of its donors, noting the party was already 10 days delinquent with its pre-primary report.

Damon Maher: “These are not difficult questions. Who are your donors? How much did they give?”

Yadira Ramos-Herbert: declined to provide details about those who helped finance her campaign through contributions to the Westchester Democratic County Committee.

Yadira Ramos-Herbert: declined to say whether the county committee should disclose the donors before voting starts.

Yadira Ramos-Herbert: “I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss what their (WCDC) process is. I defer to whatever Suzanne said.”

Suzanne Berger: “We were able to raise money from our own coffers from people who were excited to support her candidacy. This is a premier race. It’s an open seat. She needs money to get her message out.”

WCDC VP Karen Pecora: said she was unaware that the party had made a contribution of such magnitude in a fight for an open seat between two Democrats now serving as elected offcials.

WCDC VP Karen Pecora: “I’m really shocked that we would give that much in a Democratic primary.”

Damon Maher: criticized tax breaks given to Wilder Balter Partners, Inc. & L+M Development Partners to develop The Stella at 10 LeCount Place in New Rochelle, NY after Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg indicted the developer’s sheet-rock contractor, Lawrence Wecker, a long-time associate of organized crime families involved in racketeering. Westchester County provided grants of about $4 million to provide additional affordable units at lower rents at The Stella (Maher lives at The Stella).

Damon Maher: “I will be requesting that the County Attorney review the matter and advise this level of government on whether clawback proceedings may be appropriate.”

Damon Maher: “We need to slow down on development and see if we can claw back some of that money.”

Damon Maher: “We need better oversight. We were supposed to get fair labor practices and local youth apprenticeships and we ended up these problems.”

Dems Dark Money Trail

In July 2022, the Westchester Democrats reported $68,740 on hand, which included $45,000 raised between January 2022 and June 2023:

  • Developer Louis Cappelli donated $10,000
  • Developer Mark Soja $5,000
  • Marathon Development $5,000

Westchester Democratic Committee Chair Suzanne Berger said she authorized the $60,000 donation to Friends of Yadira.

Ramos-Herbert’s campaign committee would have been $1,000 in the red by late May. Instead, it had $59,000 in hand for the final stretch run, with bundles of mailings teed up for release as campaigns gear up for early voting to start.

Maher had $6,700 in his coffers in late May.

Who is WCDC Treasurer?

  • The WCDC website lists County Legislator Erika Pierce of Bedford as WCDC Treasurer
  • Pierce says she resigned the position in 2022.
  • WCDC Executive Director Jovan Richards declined to identify the WCDC Treasurer, referring the question to Suzanne Berger.
  • WCDC Chair Suzanne Berger did not respond to questions about the WCDC Treasurer.