Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
More Albany Grossness: Female Staffer's Complaint About Assemblyman Ignored By Silver's Staff
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 24, 2013
Modified Jul 24, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 24, 2013
Modified Jul 24, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last night, the NY Times reported a top lawyer for the Democratic Assembly was stepping down because "Assembly staff failed to investigate sexual harassment claims involving another Assembly Democrat." Specifically, the lawyer, Bill Collins, who runs the legal staff (for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, since he's the head of the majority), never did anything about allegations that Assemblyman Micah Kellner was harassing a young staffer.
The staffer complained to a supervisor, who then went to Collins. Here are the gross details from the Times:
The senior Kellner aide presented Mr. Collins with 15 pages of Internet chat transcripts, in which Mr. Kellner made suggestive remarks to the junior staff member, a woman in her early 20s who was new to the job.
Mr. Kellner encouraged the woman to play Scrabble with him on Facebook while conversing through the Google Talk Internet messaging service. In one exchange that took place well after midnight, Mr. Kellner told the woman that he had hired her because “you were cute during the interview.” He asked if she had a boyfriend and told her, “I guess secretly I didn’t want you to have one,” adding, “I like being the only man in your life” and “Don’t cheat on me.”
“I wouldn’t mind falling asleep with you but not remotely,” he wrote. “Did I offend?”
The report appears to have stopped at Mr. Collins’s desk. The Assembly’s staff never began a formal inquiry, and the matter was not referred to the Assembly’s ethics committee, in keeping with a longstanding practice in the chamber of shielding members from embarrassment.
Silver and the Assembly have been criticized for enabling a culture of members preying upon young staffers, most disgustingly Vito Lopez, who allegedly pawed woman and made them touch his tumors. Interestingly, Kellner spoke out against Lopez earlier this year.
Kellner, 34, told a reporter today that it was youthful indiscretion, "You know, this occurred over four years ago. It was while I was single. It occurred over a few weeks. It was inappropriate. It was stupid. And I was wrong for doing it. And when the staffer told me that she felt that it was unprofessional, I immediately stopped and regretted putting in her in that position. I was sorry then and I’m sorry now." He also claims he had no idea the complaint was made to the Speaker's office.
The Republican State Committee told the Times-Union, “Sheldon Silver is directly responsible for the culture of coverups regarding sexual harassment and abuse that has permeated the State Assembly dating back to the mid-1990s. If Silver believes that Collins’ behavior warrants a resignation, what does he believe his own behavior warrants? How many more women victims need to come forward before Governor Cuomo takes meaningful action to appoint a special prosecutor to flush out rampant corruption in Albany?"
Silver's office said, "Speaker Silver was not informed by Bill Collins about this matter at the time and he feels the matter should have been handled differently... The speaker has had a conversation with Mr. Collins and he will be leaving the Assembly’s employ."
Kellner is running for a City Council seat on the Upper East Side (Jessica Lappin's). His Democratic opponent, Ben Kallos, said, "Zero tolerance is what it is for the law, and that's what it should be for all of us," and was just endorsed by NOW-NYC.
Tagged
Albany
City Council
harassment
micah kellner
sheldon silver
speaker silver
vito lopez
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Parents grumble as NYC schools chancellor dodges calls for NYC schools integration plan
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones said she felt disappointed by the lack of details.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Oct 20, 2026 at 10:01 p.m. ET
Driver found with apparent gunshot wound on George Washington Bridge, officials say
The westbound upper level was closed Tuesday night as Port Authority police investigated the incident.
By
Charles Lane
News
Driver found with apparent gunshot wound on George Washington Bridge, officials say
The westbound upper level was closed Tuesday night as Port Authority police investigated the incident.
By
Charles Lane
16 arrested in New York auto insurance fraud crackdown involving nearly $500K
By
Giulia Heyward
Coney Island's small, 1890s lighthouse may be landmarked by the city
By
Catalina Gonella
New renderings are out for Queens' Metropolitan Park casino
By
Willow Higgins
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .