PRESS RELEASE: Mike Khader Found To Have Committed Seven Charges Of Unfair Campaign Practices

YONKERS, NY – The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee has ruled that Mike Khader has engaged in unfair campaign practices.

The group, founded by the League of Women Voters, ruled this week that the Council President candidate was found to have committed seven counts of lying about his opponent’s record.

John Alev, campaign manager for Khader’s opponent, the incumbent Council President Liam McLaughlin, said he felt vindicated by the Committee’s ruling. “Mike Khader is a political insider who is resorting to spreading outright falsehoods to hide the fact that he has failed to pay his taxes, bills and creditors,” he said.

“The Fair Campaign Practices Committee has seen through Khader’s deception,” Alev said. “Yonkers residents already cannot trust Mike Khader to manage their finances, or his own. Now they know they also cannot trust a word he says.”

Alev referenced a recent article in the October 20th edition of Yonkers Rising which reported “the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance issued two tax warrants after Khader failed to remit workers’ compensation taxes for his employees. He was found guilty by default judgement and ordered to pay his back taxes with interest, penalties and fees.”

“Khader was also accused of being in derogation of his fiduciary responsibilities and obligations as an escrow agent in a lawsuit concerning a real estate transaction. Judge Nicholas Collabella ruled that Khader had to release $6,000 in escrow funds. And last year, Khader was sued by American Express for a lack of payment in the amount of $55,795 for his Amex bill,” it reads.

The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee’s ruling found that Khader had engaged in unfair campaign practices seven times. It ruled Khader lied about Council President McLaughlin’s record on taxes, spending and other issues. Khader also mislead the public by inferring that Council President McLaughlin was responsible for water rate increases. It also noted that Council President McLaughlin was actively involved in the fight for school funding in Yonkers.\
 

FINDINGS IN THE COMPLAINTS OF LIAM MCLAUGHLIN, CANDIDATE FOR
YONKERS CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT, AGAINST MIKE KHADER, CANDIDATE FOR THE SAME POSITION

ELMSFORD, NY (October 20, 2017) – The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee met on October 19, 2017 to hear the complaints of Liam McLaughlin, candidate for Yonkers City Council President, against Mike Khader, candidate for the same position. Mr. McLaughlin was represented by Chris Arnold. Mr. Khader was represented by Saad Siddiqui.

COMPLAINT 1: Mr. McLaughlin complained that, on a palm card posted on the Yonkers Tribune blog, Mr. Khader engaged in an unfair campaign practice when he suggested that Yonkers changed for the worse “after 16 years,” during which McLaughlin allegedly served in office.

FINDING: Unfair
The time frame suggested in this accusation is inaccurate. There were several years during the period when Mr. McLaughlin was first in office until the present when he did not serve in an elected position.

COMPLAINT 2: Mr. McLaughlin complained that Mr. Khader engaged in an unfair campaign practice when he claimed that taxes had doubled since Mr. McLaughlin was elected.

FINDING: Unfair
The claim that taxes had doubled since Mr. McLaughlin was elected is not supported by data the Committee was provided, nor is the term “taxes” explained. There are many kinds of taxes controlled by various entities.

COMPLAINT 3: Mr. McLaughlin complained that Mr. Khader engaged in an unfair campaign practice by stating in his campaign literature that, “Yonkers water bills have gone up 585% since Liam was first elected 18 years ago.”

FINDING: Unfair
Yonkers water bills are based mainly on charges from the City of New York to Yonkers, and documentation provided to the Committee did not show that rates had increased that much. The inference that he is responsible is misleading.

COMPLAINT 4: Mr. McLaughlin complained that Mr. Khader engaged in an unfair campaign practice when he made the statement that spending went up 338% in Yonkers.

FINDING: Unfair
The statement that spending went up 338% in Yonkers is confusing because there are many different types of taxes, such as municipal and school taxes, and the statement was not specific. Also, taxes are set in Yonkers by various entities. In addition, budget numbers were used to determine the 338% increase, but it was not clear that the starting and ending numbers included the same components.

COMPLAINT 5: Mr. McLaughlin complained that Mr. Khader engaged in an unfair campaign practice when he claimed that Mr. McLaughlin “lines his pockets with our tax dollars.”

FINDING: Unfair
While Mr. McLaughlin did vote twice, along with the City Council, to raise salaries of
Councilmembers, the Committee found that the term “lines his pockets” implied some kind of impropriety when that was not the case.

COMPLAINT 6: Mr. McLaughlin complained that Mr. Khader engaged in an unfair campaign practice when he indicated that Mr. McLaughlin unilaterally controls taxes in Yonkers and residents are struggling with “his tax hikes.”

FINDING: Unfair
The implication that Mr. McLaughlin unilaterally controls taxes in Yonkers is false. His is one vote on the City Council and Yonkers taxes are set by various entities.

COMPLAINT 7: Mr. McLaughlin complained that Mr. Khader engaged in an unfair campaign practice when he indicated that Mr. McLaughlin was “absent in the fight for school funding.”

FINDING: Unfair
Mr. McLaughlin was actively involved in school funding efforts.