Biaggi looks to revive state Senate Ethics Committee

Biaggi, who knocked off state Sen. Jeff Klein in the Democratic primary in part by criticizing Klein over alleged transgressions that included a sexual misconduct accusation by a former staffer, is trying to send the message that she will assert her committee’s power, having told City & State that “anything is possible with this committee.”

Among the first orders of business is tackling workplace harassment, where Albany is no exception to the snowballing revelations rocking high-profile industries like entertainment and journalism. The sexual misconduct claim against Klein is part of a troubled history of powerful New York political figures accused of inappropriate sexual behavior, including former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in 2018, former Assemblyman Vito Lopez in 2013 and former Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin in 2017.