City Council Member Andy King Faces New Harassment Charges A Year After Taking Harassment Training

City Council Member Andy King in 2018

A Bronx City City Council Member who was forced to take sensitivity training last year after a Council committee found he had sexually harassed a staffer has been hit with new harassment allegations.

The Council's Standards and Ethics committee said on Monday that Councilman Andy King (D-Bronx) has been accused of sexual harassment, misusing city resources, allowing his wife to perform Council business, and allowing his wife to harass staffers. According to the NY Times, the committee's chair, Council Member Steven Matteo (R-Staten Island) "said that an employee in a supervisory role in Mr. King’s Council office was alleged to have 'repeatedly threatened violence in the office and at work functions, and on at least one occasion the employee committed an act of violence against a subordinate employee.'"

Details about the alleged incidents were not shared. Matteo also said, "Despite many attempts to interview Council member King about these allegations, he has refused to cooperate with the investigation and only made himself available for five minutes to discuss a separate but related investigation into one of his staff members."

The City Council is retaining a private attorney to "review the committee's report, conduct further investigations and make a recommendation on the charges," according to Politico.

The ethics committee also decided to pursue formal charges against Council Member Barry Grodenchik (D-Queens), who was accused of paying "unwelcome attention" to a staffer earlier this year.