Judge: Silver ‘immune’ from lawsuit over $103G settlement of Vito Lopez sex harass accusations
Michael Gormley
ALBANY -- A state judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver saying the powerful leader is immune from challenge to his once-secret $103,000 settlement that ended the first sexual harassment claims against then-Assemb. Vito Lopez.
State Supreme Court Justice Kimberly O'Connor ruled that government officials making discretionary decisions have immunity from such civil suits challenging their actions.
Robert Schulz, a private citizen from Queensbury, sued Silver over the 2013 deal that settled ended the first accusations against Lopez, a Brooklyn Democrat. Shortly after the settlement, Lopez was accused by more of his women staffers of sexual harassment, prompting Silver to discipline him.
Lopez denied sexually harassing anyone, but left the Assembly shortly before Silver could begin an effort to expel him.
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/politics/spin-cycle-1.812042/judge-silver-immune-from-lawsuit-over-103g-settlement-of-vito-lopez-sex-harass-accusations-1.8008126?firstfree=yes
