Questions about Grant to Peekskill Politician, Son

In 2007, a non-profit organization called the Preservation Company gave a $15,000 grant to Drew Claxton and her son for repairs on a Fremont Street house, according to news reports.

Now amid charges of corruption, Peekskill’s deputy mayor is defending herself and accusing Republicans of stirring up controversy for political gain, according to the Peekskill Post.

She is co-owner of the house, where her son and his wife live and pay the mortgage, she said. He applied for the grant and was deemed eligible.

However, elected officials and their immediate family members aren’t eligible unless granted a waiver.

So now the state and the agency are looking into it. And the Westchester County District Attorney is too, according to The Journal News.

Claxton, who has been on the City Council since 2002, and who holds an M.A. in Economics from NYU, said they’d pay back the grant if necessary and pooh-poohed calls from Republicans for her to resign, the Peekskill Post reported.

The Peekskill Post also said that Mayor Frank Catalina hinted that Claxton misused the money, an accusation she called ‘absurd.’