[For background on this story, see Peekskill Herald articles from Sept. 25, 2024, Jan. 10, 2025, Jan. 17, 2025, Jan. 22, 2025]

The allegation that a Peekskill councilman used his political influence in violation of the city’s code of ethics has led to his censure and sets the stage for a potentially heated contest for the Mayor’s seat in this year’s election.

The Peekskill Common Council on Monday, Jan. 27, voted 5-1 to censure Councilman Ramon Fernandez.

Council members condemned Fernandez for allegedly using his official position to get traffic tickets dismissed for a family friend in 2018 by Peekskill City Court Judge Reginald Johnson, who was forced to retire last year.

Five Council members — Mayor Vivian McKenzie, Deputy Mayor Patricia Riley, Brian Fassett, Dwight Douglas and Robert Scott — voted in favor of the censure. Fernandez voted no. Councilwoman Kathleen Talbot was not at the meeting to vote.

The resolution expressed disapproval of Fernandez’s conduct, saying his actions corrupted and subverted the justice system and undermined public confidence in city government; it also noted that Fernandez showed no remorse.

Following the vote, Fernandez said, “I would like to express my deepest apologies for this situation that occurred almost seven years ago, when I inappropriately sought leniency from Judge Reginald Johnson on a (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) student who was involved.”

Almost immediately after apologizing, Fernandez claimed that the censuring was political retaliation by Mayor McKenzie, who he is seeking to run against for mayor in 2025.

Councilman Ramon Fernandez read a statement about his censure on Monday, Jan. 27, noting, “This is a political retaliation by Mayor McKenzie and it exposes [her] double standard.”

After the State Commission on Judicial Conduct named Fernandez as one of the people Judge Johnson favored, McKenzie and the council referred the matter to the Board of Ethics. However, the board recently dismissed the complaint due to the statute of limitations expiring two months before it was referred to the board in September.

“Despite this, the push for my censure persists,” Fernandez said. “Let’s be honest about why this is not about accountability or ethics. This is a political retaliation by Mayor McKenzie and it exposes (her) double standard.”

Fernandez claimed the council used the Judicial Conduct report on Judge Johnson, which included Fernandez as a material witness, as political fodder to censure him, adding that such a move could constitute witness retaliation.

That complaint said that in March 2018, Mateo Piragua, a family friend of Fernandez, was charged for allegedly operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license and while using a cellphone, then was charged again in June 2018 for allegedly operating a vehicle without a driver’s license and failing to obey a stop sign.

Fernandez then met with Johnson on or about June or July 2018, saying he believed the tickets were unjust and that Piragua was a good person. According to the report, Fernandez understood from Johnson’s response that the tickets would be dismissed.

Before apologizing to the Council, Fernandez said Piragua was a Hispanic constituent of his who was in the process of regularizing his immigration status and feared any blemish on his record would jeopardize his eligibility for the immigration status he sought. Fernandez said he asked Johnson to review the case to see if there was a way to minimize the effects of the tickets.

Rather than seeking personal gain, Fernandez said he wanted to help a young man with a rich future who was a vulnerable member of the Peekskill community. According to the State Commission, Piragua is a family friend who has participated in local soccer activities with Fernandez.

Former Peekskill mayor, residents criticize Fernandez, council

At the Jan. 27 Common Council session, several Peekskill residents applauded Fernandez while others criticized him, with one speaker criticizing both Fernandez and the council for a “double standard.”

Peekskill resident Lee Esther Brown said it was wrong to censure Fernandez and not Councilman Robert Scott, who is currently awaiting resolution after being charged with forging signatures on his election petitions.

“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” said Brown, saying there should also be criticism for the city’s school district Superintendent Dr. David Mauricio, who had a speeding ticket dismissed by Judge Johnson, as well as Councilman Brian Fassett, who, according to Brown, applauded the death of Pat Robertson, a controversial televangelist and critic of gay rights and feminism.

In the state ethics report, Mauricio was quoted as saying, “Tell your husband I said a big thank you,” after then-Board of Education member Pamela Hallman-Johnson, wife of the judge, told him at an event in February 2020, “My husband took care of that issue today.”

In October 2024, the Peekskill School Board of Education exonerated Mauricio of any wrongdoing. In a statement they said Mauricio asked Judge Johnson when his case would be heard, not if he would void his ticket, which the judge did. 

“Both of you should step down,” Brown said of Scott and Fernandez. “We’ve all made mistakes. God knows, I’ve made plenty. I’m an old time foot soldier. But what you [Scott] did, you said you witnessed these signatures – two of my family members who have never been in your juice shop and you’ve never been to their house – and dead folks.”

While it censured Fernandez, the council has no authority to strip any elected official of their seat, which only the governor can do, as Mayor McKenzie pointed out. Asked by Brown why she didn’t ask Scott to step down, as she did for Fernandez, McKenzie said Scott’s case is still in court and that the law of the land says a person is innocent until proven guilty.

Prior to the vote, resident Ingrid Wittman stood in support of Fernandez, while acknowledging his mistake, and said she believed he shouldn’t step down.

“I know [Fernandez]. I know he feels bad for what he did,” Wittman said. “And I just feel to publicly humiliate him is unnecessary… I’m not a perfect person, but we’re living in very difficult times now and with what’s going to happen in the next four years, it’s not going to be easy. We should show each other grace.”

The Citizens Desiring To Be Heard portion of the Jan. 27 meeting also saw an appearance from Peekskill past Mayor Andre Rainey. He told a story from seven years ago about a man who spoke of bringing unity and positivity to Peekskill. However, Rainey said last month he saw the opposite in the man, whose name he did not mention.

“One thing I did learn… is accountability is probably one of the most important things you can have,” Rainey said. “And when you play the victim, you’ll get temporary sympathy from anybody who doesn’t know the full story. But it prevents you from getting self growth. And if you’re going to be a leader, you need to be able to take accountability. ”