One of President Biden’s New York delegates has been convicted of scamming the Syracuse school district and currently owes the state $101,000 in back income taxes and penalties, The Post has learned.
James “Jimmy” Monto III — who pleaded guilty to falsifying business records while he was an employee with the Syracuse City School District — is on Biden’s list of pledged delegates in the 22nd Congressional District for his re-election campaign.
The local district attorney’s office accused the Democrat of trying to take a tax credit he hadn’t earned, costing the school district thousands of dollars in payments to the IRS.
Syracuse Democrats then bizarrely appointed Monto to fill a vacancy on the local council, and he was re-elected in the overwhelmingly Democratic city in 2022 despite his criminal baggage.
A Democratic Party insider said he was startled that Monto was appointed by local Democrats to be a delegate for Biden’s re-election, given his criminal record.
State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs, Gov. Kathy Hochul — the de facto head of the party — and the Biden campaign must sign off on the delegates.
“Kathy Hochul Hochul and Jay Jacobs aren’t sending their best to represent Biden at the Democratic National Convention,” said the source, who requested anonymity.
“Monto stole from the Syracuse school district. He stole from kids!” the party activist said.
In 2022, the Syracuse media raised red flags about Monto, citing his baggage.
“The newest member of the Syracuse Common Council, 5th District Councilor Jimmy Monto, carries some heavy baggage to his new job. Monto pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in 2012 after he was accused of falsifying payroll documents while working at the Syracuse City School District and failing to pay $12,161 in state taxes for three years,” Syracuse.com said in a 2022 editorial.
“We’re all for giving second chances. But something doesn’t sit right with Monto’s redemption story … Members of the Common Council interviewing Monto for the job showed a stunning lack of curiosity about his past. … Monto told councilors he had been charged with a crime previously but they did not press him for further details. Nor did they explore how it might affect his work on the council, which votes on the school district budget and other tax matters,” the editorial said.
Monto told syracuse.com in 2022 he had no idea how the school district’s payroll records got changed and that he only copped a guilty plea because “I was younger, I was terrified, and I’d never been in trouble before.”
As for his tax issues, Monto has racked up $101,000 in back income taxes and penalties owed to the state, according to active warrants filed by the New York State Department.
Jacobs said he was not aware of Monto’s past and that he would investigate.
“He should have been vetted. I’m not familiar with [his selection],” Jacobs told The Post.
“His selection is clearly something I’m going to take a look at. That merits a look and I will,” he said.
Monto declined to comment.
Democratic Party delegates are elected by elected officials and party leaders in counties within each congressional district.
Democratic congressional elected officials and other elected party leaders — and members of the Democratic National Committee — are also selected to served as delegates to the party’s 2024 presidential nominating convention set to take place in Chicago.
The list of delegates on petitions for Biden filed with the state Board of Elections include state Sen. Monica Martinez (D-Hauppauge), Bronx Democratic Party Chairman and state Sen. Jamaal Bailey, Westchester County Executive and congressional candidate George Latimer, Westchester County Chairwoman Suzanne Berger, Erie Democratic Party leader Jeremy Zellner and Erie County Executive Mark Polencarz, state AFL-CIO president Mario Celento, and former Congressman Mondaire Jones, among others.
Under New York state Republican Party rules, delegates are not submitted to the elections board in advance of the April 2 presidential primary.