This article is a follow-up to our investigation into the Rise Up Mount Vernon candidate line. This controversial and registered political operation has raised legal and ethical questions about transparency, accountability, and outside influence. What we’ve now uncovered deepens the concern: a major developer bankrolling candidates through this questionable political line and donating across the county to both sides of the political equation.
In a time when local politics are more influential than ever, few things reshape a community faster than a developer with deep pockets—and strategic donations. The recent revelation that Rella Fogliano, owner of a private development company, donated $25,000 to Rise Up Mount Vernon is a story with implications far beyond a single city election.
This isn’t just about Mount Vernon. It’s about how a single development firm has managed to embed itself into the political machinery of Westchester County, donating to the who’s who of local politics across city lines and ideological divides. And now, after giving to the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee, that same donor is funding a candidate line that’s running against the very committee it once supported.
MacQuesten Development owns the property at 130 Mount Vernon Avenue in Mount Vernon, NY. The building has become a financial burden on taxpayers due to an excessive number of police calls and its long-standing history of housing individuals with mental health issues, placing additional strain on the city’s police department
It raises a critical question: What happens when private developers bankroll both sides of local politics?
Fogliano’s company, MacQuesten Development, has been involved in major regional development projects, including the 17-story, 189-unit building at 22 South West Street in Mount Vernon. While these developments aim to address affordable housing needs, the intersection of her political contributions and development interests raises questions about the influence of such donations on local policy decisions.
To be clear, the donations discussed here were made by Rella Fogliano in her personal capacity, not directly from MacQuesten Development, LLC. That legal distinction matters, and we acknowledge it. However, it does not reduce the potential influence such contributions carry. When a major developer personally donates tens of thousands of dollars to political committees and candidate slates across a county, the result is the same: increased access, expanded influence, and the ability to quietly shape public outcomes.
But what does it say when you give $30,000 to the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee in 2023 and 2024, then turn around and finance an opposing candidate line in 2025? Some will say, “That’s just how politics works.” Others will say, “That’s how you control your interests in poor cities like Mount Vernon—by backing candidates focused on low-income development and securing tax breaks, while quietly steering the politics that enable those deals.”
Mount Vernon is no stranger to the influence of big money in politics. One of the most notorious examples is Joseph Spezio, a wealthy sanitation executive turned political donor, who eventually became Deputy Police Commissioner without any prior law enforcement experience. Spezio donated heavily to top Democrats and Republicans in Westchester, using his financial influence to penetrate City Hall and the Mount Vernon Police Department. As Black Westchester previously uncovered, Spezio was also a former federal informant, which only came to light after he had already embedded himself in the city’s highest circles of power. His unchecked influence helped destabilize the city government and ultimately contributed to former Mayor Richard Thomas’s unfortunate and premature resignation.
Spiezio’s rise and reign should be a cautionary tale of what happens when money, not merit, drives political appointments, and private agendas override the public good.
A Pattern of Influence
Verified Contributions: A Matter of Public Record
According to filings with the New York State Board of Elections, Rella Fogliano has made substantial personal contributions to political entities throughout Mount Vernon and Westchester County. The public record confirms donations totaling $30,000 to the Mount Vernon Democratic City Committee—$20,000 in 2023 and $10,000 in 2024—before her reported funding of a competing political group line in 2025. According to Democratic insiders in Mount Vernon, it was Kenny Plummer who negotiated the 2023 donation to the Democratic Party on behalf of Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. There have also been questions surrounding Plummer’s actual residency—specifically, how he continues to serve as a District Leader when he reportedly no longer resides in Mount Vernon and instead lives in White Plains. According to New York State Public Officers Law § 3, public officers must reside within the political subdivision they serve, and failure to meet this requirement could lead to the position being declared vacant. Furthermore, Election Law § 2-110 mandates that district leaders must reside within the Assembly District they represent, making this a possible legal violation. The consequence for non-compliance includes removal from office and potential further legal review.
Plummer’s conduct raises additional concerns. In 2012, the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) found that Plummer, as president of DiRA Consulting, violated the Lobbying Act by failing to register and submit required bimonthly lobbying reports while lobbying for real estate projects in Mount Vernon. He admitted to the violations and paid a $2,000 penalty. Now, he is allegedly acting again as an unlicensed lobbyist to secure state funding for development projects, which could constitute further violations of state lobbying and ethics laws.
Kenneth Plummer DBA Kensworth Consultingsubstantial Basis Investigation Report and Settlement Agr by Damon K Jones on Scribd
These figures were not disclosed anonymously or filtered through an LLC; they were made in Fogliano’s name, reinforcing the visibility of her political reach.
While these contributions are legal and filed appropriately, the pattern they form across election cycles is cause for concern. Such concentrated financial influence demands public scrutiny in politically vulnerable cities like Mount Vernon, where special interests often overshadow community voices.
Rella Fogliano’s donations aren’t isolated. Campaign finance records show a pattern of financial support to city officials, committee chairs, and mayoral candidates across Westchester. These contributions don’t just buy goodwill but access, attention, and often silence.
Notably, this developer hasn’t just focused on Mount Vernon. Records show donations reaching state and local authorities, including Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and even District Attorney Susan Cacace. When a private donor has the financial bandwidth to contribute to both administrative and judicial campaigns, it blurs the line between civic participation and coordinated influence. These contributions widen the developer’s access to the very institutions meant to check and balance one another.
In cities like Mount Vernon—majority-Black, working-class, and historically under-resourced—this kind of influence is especially troubling. Local elections should be about community priorities, not development deals. When big money comes in, accountability goes out.
Undermining the Democratic Process
In New York, while it’s legal to contribute across political lines, this practice raises red flags when the same donor undermines their prior recipients. It sends a message that elections can be steered—not by the will of the voters—but by strategic payouts. In low-turnout municipal elections, where a few thousand dollars can sway results, this tactic is especially potent and dangerous.
What makes the Mount Vernon case particularly alarming is the dual role this donor is playing: giving to the City Committee and now funding a line of candidates running against it. That’s not just influence—that’s political destabilization.
Political destabilization can be caused by major donors or PACs donating to both sides because it can undermine public trust in the political process and create a sense of corruption, as it suggests a lack of commitment to specific ideological positions. This can also lead to the perception that political campaigns are primarily influenced by money rather than by voter preferences, further eroding faith in the system. You can’t claim to support party structure and then turn around and fund efforts to dismantle it. That kind of maneuver not only creates division but also undermines the legitimacy of the electoral process. Simply put, it makes voters wonder: Who’s really choosing our leaders—the People or the Donors?
The Hidden Cost of Development
When developers shape the political landscape, the community pays the price. Zoning boards shift. Affordable housing becomes a buzzword instead of a promise. Public land and policy become commodities.
This isn’t about being anti-development. It’s about being pro-transparency and pro-accountability. If you want to influence politics, be honest about your role. Don’t hide behind candidate lines and registered political groups.
Mount Vernon and all Westchester residents deserve to know who’s really funding their elections—and what those donors expect in return.
Because when developers write the checks, they usually get to write the rules too. Large donors and special interest groups can contribute significantly more to campaigns than average voters, directly or through super PACs and other independent groups. According to some studies, political officials may be more inclined to prioritize topics and policies supported by big donors over other concerns, especially if they are very dependent on them.
Transparency isn’t optional—it’s foundational to democracy. Residents, journalists, and public officials alike must demand clear answers and traceable money if we are to protect the voice of the people over the purse strings of the powerful. According to some studies, political officials may be more inclined to prioritize topics and policies supported by big donors over other concerns, especially those heavily reliant on large donors to win elections and stay in office.
This should be a wake-up call to the people of Mount Vernon. The attempt to dismantle the Mount Vernon City Committee’s influence comes at a time when the city is preparing to auction off over 500 properties in June. This kind of political maneuvering, tied to concentrated donor interests, reflects a broader pattern Mount Vernon has seen before. The influence that developers have had on Mount Vernon politics for decades has not only shaped infrastructure, school systems, and public service delivery—but has eroded the moral and ethical values of public life. This is more than a land sale; it’s a moment of reckoning for who gets to control the future of the city.
How can our seniors—those on fixed incomes—or a working family living on Third and Third, ever hope to compete with this level of financial influence? They can’t. And they shouldn’t have to. As highlighted by recent public campaign filings with the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE), the disparity is not just economic—it’s systemic. I’ve always said, if you want to know who your politicians are really working for, don’t listen to their speeches—read their donor reports. These reports are public records for a reason.
The average voter cannot write five-figure checks, host fundraisers for sitting judges, or bankroll political slates. When donors like Rella Fogliano are allowed to fund both the party and its challengers in back-to-back cycles, it strips away any illusion of neutrality in local governance. While her contributions are legally permissible, the ethical implications cannot be ignored.
In Mount Vernon and across Westchester County, we must ask ourselves: Are we building communities—or selling them off one deal at a time? The answer lies not in the promises made during campaigns, but in the names listed on the donation ledgers.
Contributions According to the NYS Board of Elections by Damon K Jones on Scribd
