Vito Lopez

What to Do if You Get Vito Lopez'd at Work

On Wednesday, state ethics regulators unleashed a 68-page document detailing young, female staffers' allegations of sexual harassment from Assemblyman Vito Lopez. One complainant described Lopez's attempts to force his hands up her inner thighs on car trips. He asked another to wear heels and short ... More >>

State Lawmakers Propose A Ban On Using Campaign Money For Legal Fees

Let's say you donate to a campaign. You really like said candidate and believe he or she will do a great job representing you and your interests in government. Eventually, your preferred politician gets elected and you're confident that your donation was well-spent. And then, a year later, he or s ... More >>

Shelly Silver: I Acted In "Best Interest" Of Gropez Victims

New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver maintains that he believes that he'll be cleared of any wrongdoing in the Vito Lopez sex debacle, during which the speaker signed off on more than $100,000 in taxpayer funded hush money to sweep allegations of sexual misconduct against Lopez under the rug.He ... More >>

Vito Lopez Is Still An Assemblyman -- But Maybe Not For Long

Despite highly publicized accusations that he's a dirty, dirty old man, Democratic Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito "Gropez" Lopez won re-election to the Assembly on Tuesday. But the longtime pol dropped a bombshell on his supporters: this might be his last term -- in the Assembly, anyway."While I will con ... More >>

GOP Super PAC Gunning For Shelly Silver -- And Why It Won't Make A Bit Of Difference

A recently formed GOP Super PAC has Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver in its sights and says it will actively campaign -- and drop an estimated $1.5 million -- to see to it that he's not re-elected as Assembly speaker.The Super PAC -- which is being financially fueled by the group Americans for Real Ch ... More >>

NOW Outlines Expectations In JCOPE's Probe Of Vito Lopez's Pervy-Ness -- And Silver's Coverup

Assemblyman Vito Lopez is a grade-A pervert. That much we know (for example, he would prefer you not wear a bra to work, ladies). But the lengths to which Assembly leaders -- most notably Lopez's former pal/current Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver -- went to coverup Lopez's multiple gropings of young ... More >>

Republican Richy Garcia Is Challenging Vito Lopez Now Because, Like, Why Not?

On Election Day, Assemblyman Vito Lopez, amidst a sex scandal, sexual harassment accusation and maybe even a cover-up by the higher-ups, will go for re-election in his district of Bushwick. Usually, in these occasions, the incumbent is knocked out and replaced with whatever the public can get its ha ... More >>

Shelly Silver's "Female" Cyber-Apologist Is Actually A Guy Named Bill

Embattled Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver has a "female" supporter who incessantly defends him against charges that he approved more than $100,000 in taxpayer money to coverup allegations of sexual misconduct made by multiple women against his old pal/current disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez.The Silv ... More >>

Prosecutors Investigating Shelly Silver's Kids Over Voter-Fraud Allegations

More bad news for embattled Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver: The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is reportedly looking into allegations of voter fraud against the speaker's children.As we reported earlier this week, Silver's kids are all voting in the powerful Democratic pol's district (presumab ... More >>

Tack Another $2,400 Onto Vito Lopez's (Taxpayer-Funded) Pervy-ness Tab

The taxpayer-funded tab to sweep allegations of sexual harassment by disgraced Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez under the rug is even bigger than originally anticipated, according to records released yesterday.In addition to the $103,000 Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver -- et al -- agreed to pay Lopez ... More >>

Sign (Toothless) Petition Calling For Shelly Silver's Resignation Right Here

Powerful Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver continues to catch heat for his coverup of sexual harassment allegations against his former pal, disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez, and now New York Republicans are circulating a petition calling for his resignation.Granted, it's only a petition -- ... More >>

Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver To Be Investigated For Vito Lopez Coverup

Apparently realizing that "it's always about the coverup," the Joint Commission On Public Ethics (JCOPE) announced last night that it's widening its probe of the sexual harassment allegations made against shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez to include the more than $100,000 in taxpayer money Assembly Spea ... More >>

Democratic Senate Hopeful Says Vito Lopez's Pervy-ness Is Just The Tip Of "Good 'Ol Boy" Iceberg In New York Legislature

A former New York Assembly staffer who now is running for the state Senate says the multiple sexual harassment allegations made against shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez -- and the subsequent coverup by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver -- is just a "smokescreen and coverup for something much bigger."Demo ... More >>

Senate Candidate/Former Assembly Staffer: "Nobody Listens" To Complaints Of Sexual Harassment In Silver's "Boys Club"

New York Post scribe Fred Dicker supposedly is the "dean of the Albany press corp." When he's not puckering up to the rump of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Dicker is pegged with the task of weeding out scandals and corruption at the highest levels of state government. That said, you'd think that if a forme ... More >>

Shelly Silver Off The Hook For (Taxpayer Funded) Coverup Of Vito Lopez Sex Scandal

Much to the dismay of the National Organization of Women, women's rights attorney Gloria Allred, Assembly candidate Frank Commisso Jr., and thousands of New Yorkers, we're sure, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is off the hook for his tax-payer funded coverup of allegations of sexual misconduct by hi ... More >>

David Soares, Who Had Sex With Young Staffer, Actually Asked To Investigate Lopez's Pervy-ness

Just so we're all on the same page: Albany County District Attorney David Soares admittedly had sex with a young female staffer. Shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez is accused of trying to have sex with several young, female staffers. Soares now wants to join the team investigating allegations that Lopez ... More >>

NY GOP Compares Coverup Of Vito Lopez's Pervy-ness To Penn State Scandal

If the many, many allegations of sexual misconduct are true, shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez is a dirty, dirty old man -- he tells female staffers not to wear bras, shoves his hands up their skirts, etc.The coverup of the disgraced pol's alleged actions by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver are equally s ... More >>

New York GOP Owes Assemblyman Vito "Gropez" Lopez A Thank You For His Alleged Pervy-ness

New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox has issued three statements in the past 24 hours -- which is three more than he's issued in the past two weeks -- each of which references shamed Democratic Assemblyman Vito Lopez's pervy-ness.In each statement, Cox seems outraged that Lopez allegedly is a d ... More >>

David Soares, New Prosecutor In Vito Lopez Pervy-ness Case, Had Sex With Young Staffer

The Associated Press is reporting this afternoon that a second special prosecutor has signed on to investigate allegations that shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez sexually harassed several young, female staffers. What the AP fails to mention is that the new special prosecutor has his own less-than-admira ... More >>

Shelly Silver Wants Pervy Assemblyman Vito Lopez To Call It A Career

In an apparent attempt to save a little face, Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he's asked disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez to quit his job in the wake of the ongoing sex scandal that's plaguing both pols.Lopez, as you know, has a habit of allegedly sexually harassing young, female sta ... More >>

Defying Silver: Assembly Wannabe Frank Commisso's Cojones Could Spell Political Suicide

Frank Commisso Jr. currently serves on the Albany Common Council representing the city's 15th Ward. He's also running for Assembly as a Democrat -- and may have just committed political suicide.Enter Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, one of the most powerful politicians in New York, who currently is ... More >>

Vito Lopez In Sex And The Assembly: How To Sweep A Scandal Under The Rug

It's fairly well known at this point that 71-year-old disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez is a dirty, dirty old man -- multiple women have filed complaints against him alleging various acts of sexual misconduct; former female staffers describe Lopez's office as a place where there is a "culture" that p ... More >>

Brooklyn D.A. Requests Special Prosecutor To Investigate Assemblyman Vito Lopez's Pervy-ness

Things just went from incredibly bad to incredibly worse for shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez.Not only has he been "disciplined" by Democratic Assembly leader Sheldon Silver, but he could potentially face criminal charges for several claims of alleged pervy-ness made against him by multiple female staf ... More >>

Ladies, Assemblyman Vito Lopez Would Prefer You Not Wear A Bra To Work

Former female staffers of shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez are coming out of the woodwork to give accounts of what it's like working for the now former chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.Here's the gist of their accounts: Lopez likes short skirts, "well endowed" women, and -- apparently channeli ... More >>

Assemblyman Shelly Silver To Blame For Vito Lopez's Latest Pervy-ness?

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver did the unthinkable yesterday: he admitted he screwed up.But that was only after reports surfaced that he signed off on a plan to secretly payoff alleged victims of his now-former pal Vito Lopez's pervy-ness with $103,000 in taxpayer money.Assemblyman Lopez, the now-f ... More >>

Gloria Alred, NOW Have Shelly Silver In Sights Over Hush Money For Pervy Pal Vito Lopez

Isn't there an old saying about how it's seldom the crime but "always the coverup" that lands politicians in the hottest of water?Well, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver may want to revisit that adage, because it's his "coverup" of sexual harassment allegations against his old pal/current Assemblyman ... More >>

Assemblyman Vito Lopez's Pervy-ness Cost Taxpayers $103K -- Thanks To Shelly Silver

Remember last week when Assemblyman Vito Lopez was scolded by legislative leaders for essentially being a pervy, dirty old man who shoved his hands up the skirts of young, female staffers? Well, Lopez's pervy-ness is costing you money.Turns out, the two women who accused Lopez of various acts of sex ... More >>

Here's The Letter Shelly Silver Sent Assemblyman Vito Lopez Asking Him To Stop Being A Dirty Old Man

Democratic Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez apparently has a habit of shoving his hands up the skirts of young, female interns -- and it's costing him his leadership position in the Assembly.The Assembly's Standing Committee on Ethics and Guidance ruled that Lopez basically has achieved dirty old man ... More >>

Forget Rome: Jesus Gonzalez Takes on Brooklyn

​There's nothing like a nicely dressed young man standing just in front of the turnstiles handing out fliers with JESUS in big print at the top to get people to whip out their Metrocards, drop their heads and race for the train. Jesus Gonzalez, though, appeared indefatigable Thursday morning ... More >>

Chet Baker Wouldn't Smoke a Pussy Cigarette Like Camel Blues

Chet knows cool​The real outrage about this new Camel cigarette promotion isn't that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is trying to peddle cancer to would-be hipsters using images like the Williamsburg Bridge. This is directly in line with the industry's goal of creating nicotine addicts out of adoles ... More >>

Breaking: Lincoln Restler, Brooklyn Democrats' Hipster Upstart, Wins State Committee Seat in Upset!

​Williamsburg's young political upstart, Lincoln Restler, walked into the offices of (currently embattled) Brooklyn Democrat party boss Vito Lopez's office a while back, wanting to get involved with politics on a local level and help institute changes he believed in. Lopez tossed him out and t ... More >>

Vito Lopez Night in Brooklyn: Re-elected Party Leader But Faces Health Fight

​Bad headlines and investigations have never carried much weight with Brooklyn's Democrats. Party officials stood by past bosses Clarence Norman and Meade Esposito right up until a jury said the word "Guilty" in their respective criminal cases. They carried on that grand tradition last night b ... More >>

Hipster Runoff: Williamsburg District Leader Seat Election Still Being Counted

​Young, handsome, black-framed Lincoln Restler -- he of the New Kings Democrats, who're out to change the face of Brooklyn's Democratic leadership, starting with embattled Brooklyn Democrat leader/scumbag Vito Lopez -- is still having his votes counted in an election against the pro-Lopez Warr ... More >>

Pras Michel v. Vito Lopez: Brooklyn's Latest Democratic Throwdown

​Now even rap stars are giving Brooklyn Democratic Party leader Vito Lopez trouble. Yesterday, Pras Michel -- late of the Grammy-winning Fugees and whose 1998 "Ghetto Supastar (That's What You Are)" was a hit on the movie "Bulworth" with Warren Beatty -- endorsed a challenger to one of Lopez's ... More >>

Obama's Troops Take on Brooklyn Boss Vito Lopez

Democratic Party chief faces rebellion

Council Approves Broadway Triangle Rezoning

Much has been made of the city council's recent triple override of Mayor Bloomberg: They've answered his vetoes with second votes overruling him on the Kingsbridge Armory mall, the five-minute parking grace, and an expansion of clergy parking privileges. But yesterday they gave him the Broadway Tri ... More >>

Atheists, Religious Abuse Support Group Team Up to Sue Church

​It's been a busy year for atheists, and they're not, as you might expect, slowing down for the holidays. NYC Atheists has been charging forward on many fronts in 2009, from letting people know you can be good without God on busses, to taking its message to the streets en Espanol. And now, th ... More >>

A Thanksgiving Honor Roll: NYC's Unsung Heroes

Lauding the oft-overlooked people in a city of celebrity

Reyna's Big Council Win a Defeat for Dem Boss Vito Lopez

​ By Aaron Howell. Yesterday incumbent city councilmember Diana Reyna defeated challenger Maritza Davila by 4,000 votes, 60 percent to 35 percent. It was a far cry from the last time the two women faced off, in the September Democratic primary, when Reyna beat Davila by a mere 250 votes aft ... More >>

Power Plays by Party Boss Vito Lopez

The Lord of Brooklyn, a Democratic powerbroker who is flexing his political muscles these days like a gym rat pumping the free weights

A Hire Calling

On their honor, it's politics as usual in Brooklyn

A Tale From the Slush Fund

A top Brooklyn pol uses the pork barrel against cancer

Dem Party Animals

As New York's Democrats prepare to take charge, reform vows take a backseat

Council Orgy

Erasing term limits and contribution caps amid a speaker battle

Brooklyn's New Top Dem: Freddy Who?

Brooklyn Court Insurgent Wins Round as Foes Rally

Does Vito Lopez have a Norman problem?

A New Colony

Williamsburg deal great for Manhattan developers, but not everyone will be priced out

The Judge on Row E

A Dissenting Jurist Challenges the Party Bosses

A Paucity of Choices

Few Challengers, and Fewer Issues, in Council Races