As with everything in Mount Vernon, you have to peel back several layers and navigate through the bs to get to the truth. The latest real life, reality show like drama was Mayor Thomas firing yet another police commissioner, Friday. But again like everything despite what the mayor told the press there is much more to the story.
On Thursday, February 7th, Public Safety Commissioner Shawn Harris fired, controversial Deputy Commissioner Joseph Spiezio III, the day after Spiezio was caught by the New Rochelle Police Department driving with a suspended license.
Here’s where the story gets interesting, Commissioner Harris wrote and hand delivered a letter (see below) to Corporation Counsel Lawrence Porcari about Spiezio not turning in the vehicle which was seized by the NRPD, his badge and police identification, on Friday.
Letter – LPorcari MVPD Property by BLACK WESTCHESTER on Scribd
Shortly after Harris received a letter of termination from Human Resources requesting he turn in his keys and credentials. The letter appears to have been redacted and pre-dated for Wednesday, March 13th but initialed by HR Commissioner and dated for Friday the 15th. (see letter below).
Termination Letter Redacted by BLACK WESTCHESTER on Scribd
This resembles the off boarding of Harris’ predecessor, the first Public Safety Commissioner Robert Kelly who refused to make Spiezio a Deputy Police Commissioner after finding out he did not have a New York State license. Which Kelly shares in detail in his written testimony to the court, April 2018, but back to the matter at hand!
As with the Kelly firing, the firing of Harris has a feel that we are not being told the whole story by the Mayor. One question is while the Mayor has the right to fire any appointed commissioner without reason or explanation – as they serve at his will – why not just be forth coming and transparent?
One must ask was the firing of Harris a continuation of the retaliatory nature of the Thomas Administration? It’s interesting it only comes after Harris delivers a letter about Spiezio not turning over his vehicle and credentials. Was he asked to, the way Harris was in writing? Is Spiezio in fact still in control despite no longer being affiliated with the MVPD in an official capacity? Will Harris be the latest subpoenaed witness in the upcoming corruption case against the mayor? If so will his testimony be a damning to Thomas as Cohen’s was to Trump?
Because of the hour we obtained access to the aforementioned documents we did not have a chance to reach out to the mayor’s office or the department of human resources, but we will be early next week. This follows the former Acting Fire Commissioner Ernest Richardson bringing a law suit against The Thomas Administration. We mentioned this because Richardson states in detail his refusal to put the mayor’s convicted gun trafficking older brother back on the books and allowing him to retire on disability, another move that led to the firing of Kelly.
If anyone has been paying attention to the Mueller investigation into Trump, where several of those closest to him have become the biggest witnesses against him, the same could quite possibly be the outcome for Thomas in his corruption case. We will all be watching to see. What we can tell you there is much more to this story and the facts will eventually all come out.
Stay tuned to Black Westchester for more of this developing story!!!
