(May 30, 2013) Otsego County Chairwoman Sheila Ross issued a press release May 29 demanding Assemblyman William Magee (D – Nelson) to end his silence and make it clear whether he stands with the women of his district or Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
“The people of the 121th Assembly District deserve to know where their Assemblyman stands on the leadership of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his repeated cover-up of sexual harassment by disgraced former Assemblyman Vito Lopez,” Ross said. “It is clear from the investigations by the special prosecutor and the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics that Vito Lopez created a hostile work environment through multiple occurrences of sexual harassment and Speaker Silver has admitted to secretly using $103,000 in taxpayer money to cover it up.”
Ross called the matter a blatant attack on women in the workplace that should not be tolerated.
“Assemblyman Magee owes it to all of us to let us know where he stands,” Ross said. “This issue transcends partisan politics, as Democrats and Republicans alike have asked for the Speaker’s resignation. I encourage Assemblyman Magee to join the several other local Assembly Members in calling for Silver to step down. It’s wrong to keep the Speaker in power, but Assemblyman Magee’s silence is even worse.”