Hasta la Vito!
Pervy Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez says he will resign from office after the end of the Legislative session, but only because he’s running for city council.
“I have made no secret that I intend to run for New York City Council in November, which requires me to resign my current term,” Lopez, 71, said in a statement released from his office today.
“Nevertheless, 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,” he wrote.
The session ends June 20.
Gov. Cuomo also said that wasn’t fast enough and and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal tweeted: “Not good enough! Lopez should resign immediately or we should oust him.”
“Vito Lopez should not spend another day in office, let alone a whole month,” Cuomo said Friday. “He should resign effective immediately and if he does not, he must be expelled. ”
His decision to leave comes as Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver started the process to expel him from the Legislature and as Gov. Cuomo called on him to quit or be canned.
Lopez still might get the boot before his resignation takes effect. Silver will still push a resolution on Monday that could lead to Lopez’s expulsion, his spokesman said.
“Assembly member Lopez should no longer be in public office. We will move forward with our resolution on Monday,” said Silver spokesman Michael Whyland.
Despite a scathing 70-page report from a state ethics committee that said Lopez sexually harassed as many as eight women in his office and violated Public Officers Laws, Lopez continues to deny that he did anything wrong: “I have maintained my innocence throughout this matter and I believe no criminal investigation should ever have been conducted.”
Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan’s investigation found that Lopez didn’t commit a crime in Brooklyn, leaving the door open for Lopez to run for City Council.
On Friday, Lopez promised a “vigorous campaign.”