Now that disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez is out of Albany, the focus is shifting to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who used tax dollars to pay hush money to several Lopez staffers who complained about his behavior. Late Monday afternoon, Silver announced he will outlaw secret settlements like the one his staff arranged last summer for Lopez. Melissa Russo reports.
The resignation of a New York state assemblyman embroiled in a sex harassment scandal has become official a month earlier than he had originally planned.
Assemblyman Vito Lopez of Brooklyn announced on Saturday that his resignation from the 53rd Assembly District seat is effective as of 9 a.m. Monday.
The surprise announcement came just a day after the 72-year-old Democrat defied demands by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign immediately. Instead, Lopez had announced last week that he would resign at the end of the legislative session on June 20 to become a candidate for the New York City Council.
Lopez faced possible expulsion from the Legislature amid sexual harassment allegations.
The allegations against him include asking young female staffers to massage him and join him in hotel rooms.
