Ceretto calls for Vito Lopez to resign, and Sheldon Silver to step down

Asks Western New York Assembly colleagues to join him

Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-C-I-Lewiston, called Thursday for the immediate resignation of Assemblyman Vito Lopez and for Sheldon Silver to step down as speaker of the Assembly after the release of a scathing JCOPE report detailing the sexual misconduct of Lopez toward several of his female staff.

"The recent findings contained in the JCOPE report on Vito Lopez are sickening and demand immediate action," Ceretto said. "I call on Vito Lopez to resign his Assembly seat today. No man who has a repeated history of sexual harassment is fit for public office. I am also urging Speaker Silver to step down because he enabled Lopez' behavior for years and did not do enough to protect the female staffers who worked for the former Brooklyn Democratic chairman.

"As the father of two daughters, I find the JCOPE report extremely disturbing and am truly saddened by the lack of action being taken to cleanup the Capitol and make it a safer work environment. That's why I am urging my Western New York Assembly colleagues to join me in a united call for accountability from Silver and Lopez. The first step toward sending the message to New York's women that sexual harassment will not be tolerated in the workplace is for Lopez to resign and Silver to step down, considering the roles they played in this horrifying scandal."