There’s a break in the once-solid Democratic wall of support for embattled Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
Queens state Sen. Tony Avella yesterday urged Silver (pictured) to step down as speaker over his handling of the Vito Lopez sex-harassment scandal — becoming the most prominent fellow Democrat to come out against the powerful legislative leader so far.
Avella said Silver’s signing off on a $103,080 confidential settlement to end sexual-harassment claims brought against Assemblyman Lopez by two female staffers was an outrage.
“It is a coverup. You’re paying people to be quiet,” said Avella, known as a maverick Democrat who was first elected to the Senate two years ago by promising change and reform.
He said Silver, the speaker for 18 years, has had a great legislative career but is now seen as “the classic example of the dysfunction and back-room deals that have plagued Albany for decades. If ever there was a time for a change, it is now.”
Silver declined to comment.
Democratic Assembly members are backing Silver — at least publicly — pending the results of two investigations of the Lopez scandal.
Silver was warmly received during the Democratic Party convention in Charlotte, NC, and even presided over the New York delegation’s vote to renominate President Obama.
While some party insiders view Avella as a rogue without stature, they said it was still significant that a Democratic senator came out against Silver — providing cover for others to do so down the road.
“Who the speaker will be is up to the Assembly,” he said when asked of Avella’s comments.
The governor said it’s time to allow the Joint Commission on Public Ethics time to investigate the Lopez case.
“Let [JCOPE] operate and we’ll see how it works,” Cuomo said.
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