NEW ROCHELLE, NY (October 15, 2026) — The third episode of Words in Edgewise examines journalist Robert Cox’s investigation into New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert’s response to a 2024 ethics complaint involving Sustainable Westchester and the Board of Ethics’ handling of the allegations.
S01E03: Two Years Later, Yadira Ramos-Herbert’s Ethics Defense Does Not Hold Up
Cox joins AI podcast host Claire T. Forall to discuss his newly published article, “Two Years Later, Yadira Ramos-Herbert’s Ethics Defense Does Not Hold Up,” and explain why he considers the case a turning point in the city’s approach to government accountability.
The conversation explores how the Board of Ethics relied on representations made by Ramos-Herbert in a March 2024 letter without documenting independent verification of key assertions. Cox contrasts that approach with earlier ethics investigations involving subpoenas, sworn testimony, witness interviews and extensive documentary reviews.
The episode also examines the mayor’s participation in Sustainable Westchester’s governance structure, questions about New Rochelle’s membership in the organization and the Board’s failure to establish what authority the nonprofit’s Committee of Electeds exercised.
Cox discusses the circumstances surrounding the removal of former City Manager Kathleen Gill in March 2024 and his belief that the events marked a broader change in how New Rochelle officials responded to scrutiny.
The conversation concludes with Cox’s concerns about subsequent refusals to consider his ethics complaints, difficulties obtaining public records under New York’s Freedom of Information Law and litigation involving city officials.
Cox argues that the events surrounding the 2024 complaint were part of a broader shift in New Rochelle government, raising questions about transparency, oversight and whether senior city officials are being held accountable.