Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren Has Been Indicted by Grand Jury

Rochester Mayor, Lovely Warren, has been indicted by a grand jury.

Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley made the announcement on Friday, October 2, 2020. The indictment was for campaign finance violations, according to WIVB. There had been an investigation into Warren's 2017 re-election campaign. She is now facing two felonies - scheme to defraud in the first degree and violation of election law 14-126(6). The allegations are focused on hundreds of thousands of dollars that were raised for the Mayor's campaign between November 2013 and November 2017.

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If Mayor Warren is charged with a non-violent class E felony, she could face a maximum sentence of one to four years in prison. She could also be sentenced to probation, split sentences, and/or restitution. Mayor Warren and two other people will be arraigned today in Cayuga County Court. Albert Jones Jr. and Rosiland Brooks-Harris, who currently serves as the City of Rochester Finance Director, are facing the same charges as Mayor Warren.

“We all want our elections to be run fair and these are laws on the books to allow and ensure that people who are entering political office follow the rules so that there is equal access to everyone. There are certain rules about coordinating campaign funds. These are important. We all want fair campaigns. This is allegedly a scheme to defraud.” ~ Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley via WIVB