A New York State senator and a New York State assemblyman are both caught in scandals that could cost them their careers.
On Monday, Assemblyman Vito Lopez announced that he was stepping down as Brooklyn Democratic chairman after accusations of sexual harassment were made by female employees in his office. The Assembly censured Lopez on Friday after an internal investigation substantiated those allegations. Lopez, who has held office since 1984, said he would not seek re-election.
According to State Committee of Ethics and Guidance findings, Lopez created a hostile work environment. Two of his female interns said that Lopez made inappropriate comments, groped them and kissed them. In released statement, Lopez denied all accusations.
“The onslaught of character attacks has put enormous emotional pressure on my family and close friends. I cannot sit by and allow that to continue,” read Lopez’s statement. “My political history has been to fight through challenges and political conflicts, but for the sake of loved ones and the Democratic Party, it is important that I take this action. I have never sexually harassed any staff, and I hope and intend to prove in the coming months the political nature of these accusations.”
According to a June letter from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Lopez made “repeated comments about [his employees’] physical appearance, their bodies, their attire and their private relationships.” This letter was written before complaints were brought forward.
As a result, Silver took away Lopez’s seniority, ordered him to undergo sexual harassment training and said he couldn’t employ anyone under the age of 21. However, according to a report by the New York Times, this wasn’t the first time Lopez found himself accused of sexual harassment. According to a report published over the weekend, a previous claim of sexual harassment was settled, without fan fare, through a payment of $103,000 in public money.
But Lopez isn’t the only local politician engaged in a story involving public money.
State Sen. Shirley Huntley was arrested on charges of tampering with evidence, falsifying business records and conspiracy in the fifth degree. The first two are both felonies that carry a maximum sentence of four years in prison and the last is a misdemeanor.
Huntley is accused of creating a fake paper trail to shield her aide and a family relative who were stealing money from a nonprofit, Parent Workshop Inc. The funds were supposed to be used to help low-income parents navigate New York City’s public school system.
Huntley faces a primary on Sept. 13 where she’ll be challenged by New York City Councilman James Sanders Jr. Huntley’s office released a statement claiming that the her arrest was politically motivated.
“Senator Huntley has been an advocate for parents and children in this community for over 40 years, and rest assured, she will continue representing the 10th Senatorial District,” the statement read.