White Plains Council Demands Mayor's Resignation

Five of the seven members of the White Plains City Council, including the president, are demanding that their mayor resign, following his two arrests on domestic violence and witness tampering charges.

Council President Tom Roach said that Mayor Adam Bradley "can no longer serve the people who elected him."

"It's our belief that at this time we cannot have the mayor distracted to the extent that he is," Roach said at a news conference in White Plains Monday afternoon.

Four other members of the council joined roach in his demand: David Buchwald, Milagros Lecuona, Benjamin Boykin and Beth Smayda. There are a total of seven members of the council, one of whom is the mayor himself.

It is the first time that such a demands comes from White Plains council, which does not  have the statutory authority to force the mayor from office.

Last Thursday Bradley was arrested for a second time and charged with witness tampering and violating an order of protection issued following his first arrest on February 28, when he allegedly assaulted his wife, Fumiko.

Fumiko Bradley accused her husband of throwing a cup of hot tea at her, and slamming a door on her hand.

She later announced she did not want Bradley prosecuted. Court papers say Bradley suggested she hang herself while pressuring her to recant.

At a news conference later in the afternoon Mayor Bradley said that he would not step down and feld that he should be "afforded the same presumption of innocence and the same due process as anyone else."

"I will continue to roll up my sleeves, work with the council, address the budget and due what i have sworn to do for the people of White Plains," said Bradley.

Councilmember Lecuona said she was disappointed that the mayor wasn't listening to their suggestion.

"He told me, 'My agreement is that on Monday I will follow the recommendation of the common council. So it's quite disappointing to see that he's not following what he said," she said.

At least some constituents were willing to give Bradley the benefit of the doubt.

"Everybody has issues with their families and personal problems," said White Plains resident Roy Belt. "So yeah, I still think he can do the job."

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