NEW YORK — A boys club.
The Bear Mountain Compact.
Whatever the label, it’s the culture of Albany, where there’s long been institutional tolerance of sexual misconduct by power brokers.
What You Need To Know
- State government has decades-long history of sexual abuse and misconduct
- Those in capitol, from Michael Boxley to Vito Lopez to Sheldon Silver, have been accused of abusing their power over aides
- Allegations against Andrew Cuomo has echoes of accounts of survivors in other Albany cases
“It has been off and on now for decades that this has gone on because these men are in powerful positions,” Barbara Bartoletti, then-legislative director of the League of Women Voters, said in 2012 at the state capitol.
Women coming forward — and advocates in government standing beside them — helped force Gov. Andrew Cuomo from office.
But the pattern is only just beginning to be disrupted.
There was Sheldon Silver’s chief counsel, Michael Boxley, who Elizabeth Crothers 20 years ago accused of rape and who pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct in another case.
“Silver told me to my — his first priority — he told me back when I spoke to him in 2001, he told me in his office that protecting the institution was his first priority. Full stop,”
Crothers told NY1.
There was Vito Lopez, accused of verbally harassing, groping and forcibly kissing staffers.
Boxley and Lopez had cover from Silver, then the Assembly speaker, who settled with their accusers using public funds.
Then, there were also Jeff Klein, Micah Kellner, and Angela Wozniak, also facing sexual harassment allegations, Wozniak was accused by then-aide Elias Farah.
“That’s the crazy part: everybody does know what’s happening and nobody does anything about it,” Farah told NY1. “And if you’re the person to speak out or if you’re the person to raise an objection, you become the vilified person.”
Cuomo and his inner circle did attempt to retaliate against Lindsey Boylan, according to Attorney General Letitia James’ investigative report.
Cuomo, accused by 11 women of his behavior ranging from inappropriate questions to unwanted kisses and groping, has been removed from power. But, for members of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, formed to spotlight misconduct in Albany, the Assembly’s suspension of its impeachment probe into Cuomo was yet another setback.
“We keep running on the same hamster wheel over and over and over again, and I’m going to go back to the institutional courage,” said Erica Vladimer of the working group. “Where is it?”
The governor denies he intentionally harassed anyone.
The working group says it’ll still press on for more investigations and legislation to finally break the cycle.
“One of the women who had spoken up about Cuomo said she was complimented for her dress, the way she dressed, not her work product,” Crothers said. “I mean, that just, that reminded us all of: Lopez did it, Boxley did it that very night.”
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