The New York State Legislature has sent a letter to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics demanding that any mention of Speaker Sheldon Silver’s office be removed from an investigative report into sexual harassment allegations against Assemblyman Vito Lopez, the New York Times reported.

The letter states that the inquest into the role played by Silver’s office is outside of the jurisdiction of the ethics regulators.

Following the public outing of the Lopez scandal last summer, Silver admitted he authorized a settlement with other women who had made allegations of sexual harassment by Lopez.

Silver has previously called for the release of the report in full, which his spokesman repeated following the release of the letter.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post New York State Legislature demands ethics report be redacted appeared first on Metro.us.

The special prosecutor investigating sexual harassment allegations against Assemblyman Vito Lopez, Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, has requested that the legislative ethics committee of the New York State Legislature withhold the report they’ve drafted until his investigation is finished, the NY Times reported.

However, a source allegedly told the Daily News the delay is “probably indefinite.”

According to the Daily News, the report “eviscerates” Lopez, and also does not reflect well on Speaker Sheldon Silver, who became entangled with the issue over a $103,000 settlement given to two female staffers who accused Lopez of harassment. The report allegedly does not say that Silver or his staff committed any ethical or criminal violation.

The report also allegedly describes new or worse instances of inappropriate touching by Lopez, according to the Times, though it is not clear if those details are grounds for criminal charges or simply unsavory.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Prosecutor requests Vito Lopez sexual harrassment report withheld appeared first on Metro.us.