Brooklyn Democratic power broker and Assemblyman Vito Lopez is in the middle of being investigated by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics for his alleged sexual harassment of female staffers (example: he's accused of putting his 71-year-old hands up one woman's thighs "as far up between her legs as [he] could go"). But Lopez tried to have a different sexual harassment claim—brought by two staffers—kept secret after the Assembly doled out over $100,000 in TAXPAYER MONEY and Lopez paid $32,000 in settlement money.
According to the Daily News, Lopez and the accusers wanted confidentiality. In fact, "Those close to the embattled Brooklyn Democratic Party boss insisted the attorney for the two women, Gloria Allred, warned Lopez and the Assembly from the start that they could settle or face a public lawsuit. Allred declined comment." It's believed the accusers who got the $132,000 settlement originally wanted ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the Democrat who represents lower Manhattan and is one of the three most powerful men in Albany, is now being investigated by JCOPE as well for his role in apparently covering up the payout. While Governor Cuomo wanted JCOPE to investigate the secret settlement, he backtracked a little bit, "It wasn’t a secret deal. It had a confidentiality (clause), but there was no secret deal by the speaker."
Whatever—now there's the JCOPE investigations into Lopez and Silver, plus the NYC investigation (headed by SI DA Daniel Donovan) into the matter. So Silver has just hired Stu Loeser, Mayor Bloomberg's formal top spokesman, as part of his team. Loeser told the Times, "Yes, I am helping my friend, neighbor and assemblyman, Speaker Silver," while Silver's spokesman said, "Stu and the speaker are friends and neighbors who have a long history together. He will be helping with strategic issues and advice working with our overall media and strategic consultant, Jonathan Rosen of Berlin Rosen."
Lopez, who could be kicked out of the Assembly if a criminal investigation finds him guilty, is reportedly mulling his chances for City Council.
