FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 30, 2012 CONTACT: NICK WILOCK, 518-878-6568 FOLLOW ASSEMBLYMAN MCLAUGHLIN ON FACEBOOK

McLAUGHLIN: TAXPAYERS SHOULDNT BE ON THE HOOK FOR SECRET HUSH MONEY

Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin (R,C-Melrose) today is calling on disgraced and censured Assemblyman Vito Lopez of Brooklyn to reimburse families and small businesses of New York following the revelation that $103,000 in taxpayer dollars was used as hush money to pay former staff members of Mr. Lopez following several and severe sexual harassment claims. There is absolutely no excuse for taxpayer money to be used as hush money for sexual harassment claims, said McLaughlin. This may be the most arrogant and insulting way Albany has spent taxpayer money yet. Middle-class families and small businesses already suffer from the highest taxes in the country, but the outrage that Ive heard so far from constituents has been utter disgust that their tax dollars are being used to cover up sexual harassment charges by a sitting legislator. While it may be difficult for him to do, Mr. Lopez needs to do the right thing and reimburse New Yorkers because we shouldnt be paying the tab for his alleged bad behavior. While acknowledging that the state often settles issues on behalf of state employees and elected officials, McLaughlin noted those should be reserved for work-related accidents and incidents, not pre-meditated predatory behavior. The voters of his district will decide the political fate of Mr. Lopez but what none of us can stay silent on is the fact that he needs to reimburse New York State for this secret settlement because it is a slap in the face of taxpayers to pay for this, said McLaughlin. Every day brings forth more information about how this investigation and secretive arrangement took place, McLaughlin said. Im joining Governor Cuomo in calling for a full Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) investigation. McLaughlin, who annually donates 10 percent of his salary back into the 108th Assembly district, has remained committed to fighting the corruption and lack of transparency in Albany since elected in 2010. To this date, McLaughlin is the only member of the legislature to publicly call for the resignation of Assemblyman William Boyland, who cheated taxpayers out of thousands of dollars by filing false per diem claims while in North Carolina on vacation and in New York City while allegedly soliciting bribes from an undercover FBI agent.

Assemblyman McLaughlin represents the 108th district, which consists of parts of Rensselaer, Albany, Greene, and Columbia counties. For more information, please visit Assemblyman McLaughlins official website. ###