Once-powerful Brooklyn Democratic Chairman Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez was stripped of all his seniority and relegated to freshman status after allegations of inappropriate behavior were believed by the bi-partisan Assembly Committee on Ethics and Guidance. Speaker Sheldon Silver sent a letter to Lopez today informing him of the severe punishment.

Mr. Lopez, for his part, refutes the charges and refuses to step down from either his post as Assemblyman or his post as Brooklyn’s Democratic leader.

“Much of Vito Lopez’s power came from his role as chairman of the Assembly’s housing committee,” one leading political consultant told YWN.

“These allegations and Shelly’s removal of Vito from chairing the housing committee makes it likely that Vito will cease to be a major player in New York politics anymore.”

(Dov Gordon – YWN)