Longtime Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who has been the Brooklyn Democratic Party Boss since 2005, was censured today after an Assembly committee determined that he had both verbally and physically sexually harassed at least two female employees this summer. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver went into graphic detail about Lopez's "multiple incidents of unwelcome physical conduct" in a letter on behalf of the ethics committee—and now some local politicians are jumping on the chance to call for Lopez to resign.

Among other things, Silver wrote: “There was pervasive unwelcome verbal conduct by you toward both complainants from early June 2012 until the time they made complaints of sexual harassment in mid-July 2012, including repeated comments about their physical appearance, their bodies, their attire, and their private relationships.” He said there were multiple incidents of Lopez physically touching one complainant, "wherein you put your hand on her leg, she removed your hand, and you then put your hand between her upper thighs, putting your hand as far up between her legs as you could go.”

Lopez also allegedly “required” one of the women to travel with him to Atlantic City last month, where he attempted to kiss her: “she struggled to fend you off before you stopped, and that on the drive back from Atlantic City you again put your hand between her legs.” As a result, Lopez has been removed as Chair of the Committee on Housing, he's lost "any rights or privileges of seniority," his office isn't allowed to have any interns or any employees under the age of 21, and he has to undergo sexual harassment training.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler immediately called for Lopez to resign in a statement:

I applaud the work of both the bi-partisan Assembly Ethics Committee and Speaker Silver for the swift and judicious action in removing Assemblyman Vito Lopez from the Chairmanship of the Assembly Housing Committee and in taking other punitive steps as a result of the findings that Assemblyman Lopez was guilty of multiple acts of sexual harassment and abuse,” said Nadler. “In light of the reprehensible conduct revealed by the Ethics Committee, I call upon Assembly Lopez to do the only honorable thing by immediately resigning his positions as a Member of the Assembly and as the County Chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.

Manhattan Borough president and mayoral hopeful Scott Stringer echoed his statement:

I am calling on New York Assemblymember Vito Lopez to resign from office, based on the findings of the Assembly’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Guidance. Any elected official who engages in such blatant sexual harassment and abuse of staff members has no business serving the public. Mr. Lopez has violated any trust that voters placed in him, and he should step down immediately.

State Committeeman Lincoln Restler also chimed in, adding: "Given the severity of these allegations, which the New York Assembly has called "credible," Vito Lopez should immediately resign as Brooklyn Democratic Party Chairman. I hope all responsible elected officials in Brooklyn will join me in calling for this action. It is clear we need a full and comprehensive investigation into whether this was a regular pattern of behavior in Vito Lopez's office."

Among his other recent controversies, Lopez was called out for double dipping, taking advantage of a loophole that allows entrenched elected officials to collect pension checks while still in office; criticized because his nonprofit paid his girlfriend and another employee Pedro Espada Jr.-style salaries; and accused of using junkies to help get re-elected.

Update: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has now released her won statement on Lopez:

There must be zero tolerance of sexual harassment in all workplaces, always. Chairman Daniel O'Donnell and the Assembly Committee on Ethics and Guidance have conducted a serious, thorough investigation and Speaker Sheldon Silver's actions are warranted and appropriate. Because of the seriousness of these findings, Vito Lopez should immediately resign from office and step down as chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.