{"id":8131,"date":"2013-05-17T12:59:45","date_gmt":"2013-05-17T16:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/?p=8131"},"modified":"2013-05-17T15:51:07","modified_gmt":"2013-05-17T19:51:07","slug":"assemblyman-vito-lopez-to-resign-may-be-expelled-from-legislature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.northcountrypublicradio.org\/inbox\/2013\/05\/17\/assemblyman-vito-lopez-to-resign-may-be-expelled-from-legislature\/","title":{"rendered":"Assemblyman Vito Lopez to resign, may be expelled from legislature"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Assemblyman<\/a>

Assemblyman Vito Lopez, speaking on a bill on the floor of the Assembly. Photo: New York Assembly<\/p><\/div>\n

Big political news coming down the pike at the moment, as disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez is resigning (soon) and may well be expelled from the legislature.\u00a0YNN’s Capital Tonight blog<\/a> reports Lopez says he’ll resign in a month’s time, but Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says (as do several others) that that’s not enough, and that a resolution to expel him will move forward. Lopez is accused of sexually harassing four legislative aides<\/a> — the details were made public earlier this week in a report from the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics.<\/p>\n

\"Political<\/a>

Political cartoonist Marquil’s comment on the Lopez scandal. More of Marquil’s work<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

However, just FYI, Lopez hasn’t said he’s resigning because of the icky allegations against him, which have been called “alarming” but seemingly don’t rise to the level of criminal<\/a>. Rather, it’s because, as he’s already said, he’s running for New York’s City Council, which requires him to resign from the state Assembly. This from the Albany Times-Union<\/a>, quoting a statement Lopez released just before noon today:<\/p>\n

Because the citizens of my district voted me back into office last November by an overwhelming majority, I feel obligated to serve out this session of the Assembly. I therefore announce that as of June 20, 2013, the last day of the session, I resign my position…I expect to run a vigorous campaign on the issues facing the citizens of my community and hope to continue to serve them as a member of the City Council. I believe that the voters of the community should decide who should represent\u00a0them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Gov. Cuomo said earlier this week<\/a> that Lopez should either quit or be expelled, and said that the Assembly’s handling of the situation has been “poor…and terribl[e]” (Silver’s office struck a confidential settlement with two other alleged Lopez staffers for more than $100,000 in taxpayer funds, a deal that some say allowed Lopez to continue his abuse of\u00a0others.)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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