Westchester County Legislator Chris Johnson resigns amid series of controversies
His resignation was confirmed by his attorney who said a letter was sent to the county clerk and the Legislature.
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Westchester County Legislator Christopher Johnson has resigned amid a series of controversies that could have seen him expelled.
In a letter to the county clerk , Johnson said, in part, “At this time, my service has become an interference on centering the improvement of this County. Whereas, good work continues to happen, I know that stepping away will allow more time and energy to be spent on the most challenging and pressing issues that people face.”
The resignation is effective Aug. 1.
His resignation comes in the wake of an investigation conducted by Yonkers Inspector General Liam McLaughlin, which revealed that the lawmaker was residing outside of his designated 16th District. Additionally, the probe found evidence that Johnson had violated city regulations by renting out his affordable condominium in his previous district to relatives.
Johnson, who lost the Democratic primary in June to Councilwoman Shanae Williams, had been removed as majority leader earlier this month. The Legislature’s rules committee had begun working to determine if he should be expelled.
Chairman Vedat Gashi (D-Yorktown), who replaced Johnson as chairman, said in a statement, “We have a responsibility as elected representatives to serve in the best interest of our constituents. While we understand that Legislator Johnson’s decision to resign was not an easy one for him to make we believe it was the correct one and serves the best interests of the constituents of the 16th District. We thank County Legislator Johnson for his years of service to the people of the 16th Legislative District and the people of Westchester.”
Johnson was first elected to the board in 2017. For six years prior to that, he served on the Yonkers City Council.
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