Mike Khader, former Yonkers City Council President, has returned to the local campaign trail, looking to secure his previous position. If he is able to obtain sufficient signatures to earn a spot on the ballot, Khader will go up against Councilwoman Tasha Diaz, who declared her candidacy on January 17, 2025, and incumbent City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy in the June 2025 local Democratic Primary. Khader served previously as Yonkers City Council President from 2018-2022.
Legal Battles
Khader left his previous term in office embattled in a defamation lawsuit, seeking compensation for what he alleged was a targeted campaign against him by Mayor Mike Spano and others. According to Khader, Mayor Spano and allies sought to discredit him due to his opposition of a tax-payer funded luxury development plan which involved Mayor Spano’s family property.
Defendants listed in the 49-page complaint include Rosanne Gallego (Committee for a Better Yonkers), Hezi Aris (Yonkers Tribune), Ron Matten, Pasquale Mondesando (Rose Press printers), and Mayor Spano. Khader sought restitution regarding negative press surrounding the time of his reelection campaign, which he maintained ultimately cost him the race.
Specifically, the complaint refers to allegations that he had engaged in a quid pro quo with Yonkers attorney Jeff Buss, receiving free rent on office space in exchange for appointment as a council. It also points to the resignation of a female staffer who claimed that Khader had created a hostile environment towards women. When news of the staffer’s resignation was made public in a leaked letter published by Hezi Aris of the Yonkers Tribune, Tom Meier, the Yonkers Democratic Party Chair, rescinded the party’s campaign endorsement of Khader.
Khader’s 2022 lawsuit sought $6 million dollars in damages, the reimbursement of all legal fees, and $500,000 in lost business revenue. It also petitioned for the removal of defamatory material published on the Yonkers Tribune and Committee for a Better Yonkers websites.
The Outcome
Defendants Hezi Aris and Ron Matten settled their cases, issuing statements indicating that they had no knowledge of illegal or unethical activity on Mr. Khader’s part. The Yonkers Tribune also removed published materials about him.
The four remaining defendants were granted motions of dismissal in January of 2024. Khader told staff at the Yonkers Ledger that “My goal in pursuing this lawsuit was to clear my name and secure a public apology and retraction,” and called on Yonkers residents to pave the way for change and a more representative government in the wake of the trial.
Yonkers Inspector General Ethics Investigation
In late July of 2024, Yonkers Inspector General Liam McLuaghlin released the report on the ethics investigation conducted by his office into the allegations brought against Khader. The report cites conflicting testimony under oath from Khader on whether he had shared office space with Smith, Buss & Jacobs LLP (SBJ). Witnesses observed Khader using the space during his time in office, and he continued to include its address on official documents. The report also contains admissions from Khader that he did not pay rent on the space for a period between around March 2017 to December 2018, for which he also provided conflicting reasons. According to the Yonkers Inspector General’s Office, Khader was found to be “In violation of the Yonkers’ Code of Ethics, and appearing to be in violation of Article 200 of the New York State Penal Law”.
However, the report was unable to obtain what it deemed to be conclusive evidence of a hostile environment fostered by Khader on the basis of gender. While witness testimonies did indicate that Khader had disproportionately favored men in the work environment, the testimonies provided were not sufficient to determine gender-based workplace discrimination under applicable law.
Khader Reimbursed for Legal Fees
Khader was awarded restitution in legal fees for his defense regarding this investigation in a separate lawsuit he filed in September of 2022. The court sighted council Matthew Gallagher’s refusal to grant Khader representation under the City’s Corporation Council due to a conflict of interest as having been unreasonable and the claim of conflict of interests unfounded. As such, the city of Yonkers was ordered to reimburse Khader’s over $70,000 in legal fees in connection with the ethics investigation.
Now, as Mike Khader looks to reemerge into the local political arena, his significant legal pursuits highlight certain aspects of his past political activities. If he is able to make it onto the ballot, voters will have to sift through these past events in order to determine for themselves who they want in office.
