After being ousted from his state senate seat Tuesday night, Queens Democrat Hiram Monserrate has defiantly said that he is not going anywhere.
Following his conviction for misdemeanor assault against his girlfriend Karla Giraldo, the State Senate voted 53 to 8 to expel Monserrate, making him the first sitting state lawmaker expelled since 1861.
"They haven't seen the last of Hiram Monserrate," the booted pol told the Daily News.
Despite the vote, Monserrate said he expects to be a senator for “many, many years.” He said that would take immediate action to fight to keep his seat, arguing that it is up to the voters to judge him.
Monserrate’s lawyer, Normal Siegel, said he plans to challenge the decision in court as unconstitutional.
The former city cop was acquitted of a more serious felony charge of slashing Giraldo’s face with broken glass, a conviction that would have automatically expelled him from the Senate.
Monserrate maintains that a “kangaroo court” made this decision before any evidence was collected.
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"This is an absolute injustice and deprives my constituents of their rights," Monserrate told the Daily News. "It's unacceptable and the height of arrogance."
