Metro

Lhota slams mayoral rivals for standing by embattled Assembly Speaker Silver in wake of Vito Lopez grope scandal

Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota pounded his Democratic rivals today for standing by embattled Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in the wake of the Vito Lopez sex harassment scandal.

Lhota last week called for Silver to step down after accusing the speaker of participating in a “cover-up” of sex harassment claims filed against Lopez by two female Assembly staffers. But all the major candidates – Christine Quinn, Anthony Weiner, Bill Thompson, Bill de Blasio and John Liu – still support Silver.

“The fact that my opponents continue to support one of New York’s most powerful leaders when he repeatedly covered up the sexual harassment and abuse of young women shows they are more concerned with supporting a political ally than protecting women’s rights to a safe workplace,” Lhots said.

“What are our values if those in public service continue protecting Speaker Silver and the harm he’s caused women? Is that really the message they want to send?”

Lhota blasted Silver’s decision to approve a $103,080 confidential settlement of the initial two sex harassment claims filed against Lopez, the former Brooklyn Assemblyman and Democratic county leader. The settlement included a gag order that prohibited the two alleged victims from discussing the alleged abuses.

Silver admitted that he erred by not reporting the initial sex harass claims against Lopez to the Assembly ethics panel.

A scathing state investigative report last month found that Lopez groped and harassed as many as eight staffers.

“First, he used taxpayer dollars to give a six-figure-hush-money settlement to the victims and now he is using taxpayer dollars to pay his legal bills in lawsuits where he is admittedly at fault,” Lhota said. “Who is getting justice in this whole matter? As long as he’s in power, it’s not these women or the taxpayers of New York.”

Another Republican candidate, John Catsimatidis, agreed.

“John Catsimatidis is a strong believer in term limits. Sheldon Silver has held his post for far too long; it’s time for him to go,” said Catsimatidis spokesman Rob Ryan.

A Silver spokesman last week said Lhota’s attack was a “desperate attempt” to jumpstart his fund-raising.

“Maybe the fundraising email he sent right after Friday’s attacks was as ineffective as the rest of his campaign, so he’s trying again,” Silver spokesman Michael Whyland said of Lhota.