Crime Committee Report e.indd - New York State Senate

Once the Court found Senator Monserrate guilty, Democratic Leader John L. Sampson
convened a Special Select Committee to look into the misdemeanor conviction to determine
whether or not the criminal conduct merited disciplinary action by the New York State Senate.
The Committee which included Senator Eric Schneiderman, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson,
Senator Diana Savino, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, issued a
lengthy report that opined that the court’s verdict supported by sufficient evidence, that Senator
Monserrate showed little remorse for injuring his companion and that he was more interested
in preserving his political standing than the health and welfare of his companion.
The Committee Report stated that Senator Monserrate conviction was a crime of domestic
violence and in direct contravention of New York’s well established policy of “zero tolerance”
in such matters. The Committee stated that the New York State Legislature had passed 108
pieces of legislation relating to domestic violence between 1995 and 2009. The Committee
made clear that “zero tolerance” applied to everyone. The Committee found that Senator
Monserrate was unfit to serve, and it recommended that the full Senate vote on a resolution to
remove him from office.
In the New York State Senate 32 seats constituted a “majority”. By expelling Senator Monserrate,
the democrats would be one vote shy of this very critical swing vote until a special election
was conducted. Notwithstanding, the loss of this very important vote, most members were
so outraged by the domestic violence memorialized in the security surveillance video tape that
the stage was set for expulsion.
In February of 2010, the New York State Senate voted 53-8 to remove Hiram Monserrate
from the New York State Senate. The resolution to remove Senate Monserrate from office passed
through the Senate without debate. Interviewed by the New York Times, Eric Schneiderman, Chair
of the Special Select Committee stated “[t]he days of sweeping things under the rug are over.”
Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction | 2009-2010 Report 41