Hevesi Report Questions Yonkers Handling Of Economic Development Funds, Spencer Among Those Named

The state is questioning the shuffling of funds by Yonkers officials between various economic development projects, the Journal News is reporting today on its Web site.

An unofficial draft of an audit report by state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, a Democrat, concludes city officials, from 2001 to 2003, made questionable transfers of funds between the city, its school district and its Industrial Development Agency, the paper reported.

John Spencer, the former Yonkers mayor and current Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, was director of the IDA at the time, the Journal News reported.

Jeanine Pirro, currently a candidate for state attorney general, was the Westchester County District Attorney at the time the DA's office conducted a probe of the transfers and found no wrongdoing. According to the newspaper's report, critics have said Pirro's probe was not thorough enough

Yonkers current mayor Philip Amicone, a Republican, responded by letter to Hevesi, saying the report is factually inaccurate and contains "incendiary political assertions."