MOUNT VERNON RELEASES BANKING-WHILE-BLACK COMPLAINT TO FEDERAL AGENCY

CHASE CALLS COPS ON MAYOR RICHARD THOMAS

On Monday Mayor Richard Thomas released a copy of his complaint to the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency about how staff at JP Morgan Chase summoned the police on him, his staff member, and a Mount Vernon Police detective as the Mayor sought to deposit a six-figure check and access to the City’s online banking records.

“Please help me get answers on why JP Morgan deemed it critical to call Police on April 24, alleging a vague threat to the financial institution’s security, after we came to their office, and as some executive staff met for over 2 hours to hear about concerning issues related to our account,” Mayor Thomas wrote in his complaint to the OCC.

The OCC charters, regulates, and supervises all national banks and federal savings associations as well as federal branches and agencies of foreign banks.

A Chase employee called the police on Wednesday, April 24, after Mayor Thomas was invited into a conference room and after Mayor Thomas had introduced the two people with him, including the police detective.

The response by the White Plains Police Department was resolved amicably after one of the responding officers recognized the Mount Vernon Police detective.

Mayor Thomas believes that race certainly played a role in the Chase employees calling the police. The two staffers who accompanied Mayor Thomas are black and Hispanic.

Mayor Thomas was at Chase’s offices at 925 Westchester Ave. in White Plains to invoke existing rights as an authorized account signatory and enforce a recent court order giving him full access to all the City’s financial records.

Supreme Court Justice Susan Cacace recently ordered Mount Vernon Comptroller Deborah Reynolds to stop blocking Mayor Thomas’ access to the critical financial records that allow him to determine how much money the City truly has.

Watch: The press conference was posted on Mayor’s Thomas’ Facebook page and his YouTube Channel.