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Hawley calls on Assembly to reject sexual abuse

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is calling on members of the Assembly Majority to make their stance clear on sexual abuse against women by voicing their support for, or opposition to, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) has found that Speaker Silver launched a wide-ranging cover-up of a sexual harassment scandal involving recently resigned Assemblyman Vito Lopez, which included the use of taxpayer dollars as hush money. In 2001, the speaker helped shield his chief counsel, Michael Boxley, from sexual assault charges. Boxley was charged and found guilty of misconduct two years later.

Hawley, who has never supported Silver’s bid for speaker, is calling on the Assembly Majority to draw a line in the sand and vote him out of his leadership role.

“No woman should ever have to deal with sexual abuse in our society, let alone in the State Assembly, where public servants should be held to a higher standard,” Hawley said. “It takes tremendous courage for victims to confront their attackers; yet, time and time again, Speaker Silver has swept the acts of his members and staff under the rug.

“The Assembly Majority, who elected Silver as speaker, has been deafeningly silent on this issue,” Hawley continued. “This isn’t about politics. This is about right and wrong. I have never voted for Silver as speaker and believe he should relinquish his leadership post, and the members of his conference must publicly renounce him as well. Anything less would make them implicit in this despicable turn of events.”

Ed Hartgrove

If (JCOPE) has found proof that Speaker Silver launched a wide-ranging cover-up of a sexual harassment scandal, and used taxpayer funds as hush money, I wonder why he isn't being charged with a crime. It would seem to me that asking that he be relieved of his Assembly leadership role isn't even close to what should happen. Maybe I'm reading this article wrong, but, to me, it sounds like he not only did something unethical, but that there was something illegal going. If JCOPE has proof of a crime, and if JCOPE doesn't present this 'proof', then maybe the members of JCOPE should be looked into for any crime that commission might be guilty of. That's my take on this.

May 22, 2013, 10:16pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Oops, sorry! I knew I was ripped off by that speed-reading course. If I had just slowed down my perusal of this (writing, or would that be, typing), then I would've caught the most important aspect of the whole of it. My apologies, sir.

May 23, 2013, 10:02am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

I missed where you called it an article ... article, press release ... doesn't really matter ... it's what an elected official is saying about something and it's the information we have available.

May 23, 2013, 10:17am Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Howard, My somewhat 'tongue-in-cheek' (retort?) wasn't in response to YOUR comment. Being new to this, I haven't quite figured how to (aim?) a reply towards individual comments.
As for article vs. press release, yeah, I, personally, see little difference. But, hey, that's me!

May 23, 2013, 10:48am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Hello Ed, if you click on the blue "reply" at the bottom right of the comment box you wish to reply to, it will then show at the top of your comment, such as on this one. Hope that helps.

May 23, 2013, 11:07am Permalink

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