Crossfire of Allegations at County Jail - Niagara Falls Reporter

State Rep;. John CerettoLast week, State Rep. John Cerettocalled for the resignation of AssemblymanVito Lopez, and asked assemblySpeaker Sheldon Silver to step downafter the release of The Joint Commissionon Public Ethics (JCOPE) reportdetailing alleged sexual misconduct ofLopez toward members of his femalestaff and a cover-up by Silver.Lopez said he would resign hisseat on June 20.Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Silverare pushing to have Lopez expelledfrom the Assembly immediately.An expulsion vote may occur thisNIAGARA FALLS REPORTER MAY 21 - MAY 29, 2013Ceretto Joins Growing Chorus Calling ForSilver to Step DownVito Lopezweek.“No man who has a repeated historyof sexual harassment is fit for publicoffice. I am also urging SpeakerSilver to step down because he enabledLopez’s behavior for years and did notdo enough to protect the femalestaffers who worked for (Lopez).”Lopez is alleged to have gropedand harassed at least eight young femaleemployees in his Brooklyn office.Women allegedly were forced tomassage his body, asked to spend thenight with him in hotel rooms and instructedto wear skimpy skirts and highSheldon Silverheels.One woman was made to feel thetumors on his neck, shoulder andarmpit as Lopez, who has cancer, toldher he was dying. Another said shecontracted pinkeye after being made toput drops into his affected eye.Lopez denied all wrongdoing andsuggests that he’s a victim of a smearcampaign.When Silver first learned aboutthe first harassment allegations, morethan a year and half ago, he directedthe Assembly to quietly enter into settlementnegotiations, paid out17$103,000 in taxpayer money and, atthe insistence of Lopez and Assemblylawyers, included a confidentialityclause thus allegedly exposing morewomen to Lopez's alleged harassment.Silver did not send the matter to anAssembly Ethics Committee — whichis required by the Assembly’s sexualharassment policy.Joining Ceretto in calling for Silverto step down are dozens of others includingpredictably attorney GloriaAllred who represents two of Lopez'salleged victims and State RepublicanChairman Ed Cox.Silver who is now being widelycriticized is, of course, pointing an accusatoryfinger at Lopez and callingfor his ouster.Lopez maintained his innocenceand said he was stepping down tofocus on his campaign for New YorkCity Council in November.Lopez will walk away with an annualpension of $64,634.28.Ceretto, a father of two, said hewill vote for the expulsion of Lopezand support a call to oust Silver fromhis position as speaker.