Westchester County Legislator Chris Johnson resigning
YONKERS, N.Y. - An up-and-coming Westchester County politician is resigning his position, effective Aug. 1.
Residency questions forced Legislator Christopher Johnson from office.
"This is politics at its worst," Johnson said in May. He sounded defiant.
Eight weeks later, he submitted a resignation letter.
His promising career, now deflated. He's stepping down from the county board.
"There has to be a sense of relief that they didn't have to do the hard thing of ousting one of their members," former Legislator Tom Abinanti said.
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Abinanti served on the county board from 1992-2011. He said the scandal involving Johnson was troubling.
Johnson was elected to represent the 16th District. A year ago, he moved into an $800,000 house in the 15th District. The county charter says he should have resigned then.
Instead, Johnson continued to serve, collecting $88,000 a year from the part-time legislative position. He also rented out his affordable unit in a complex after moving to a new home. Yonkers said that violated rules of its fair housing program.
"This type of behavior is what fuels the cynicism and the skepticism of government that we're seeing so broadly in public life today," Abinanti said.
Legislator James Nolan had been pushing for the board to expel Johnson.
"Our integrity is in question, on the board legislation. We must re-establish that, and that's why I look forward, with my colleagues, to doing, working forward to re-establish the integrity and most important the respect of constituents of the Board of Legislators," he said.
In his resignation statement, Johnson says continuing to serve would be quote "an interference" and he wants the Board of Legislators to focus time and energy on more important issues.
