NYC politician who compared gay people to paedophiles expelled in city first
New York City Councilman Andy King has been expelled from the council after a 48-2 vote.
It is likely the first time a city councilmember has ever been expelled from the New York City Council.
The council's Ethics Committee recommended Mr King's expulsion after holding a vote last week that required a two-thirds majority to approve.
Mr King was ousted on Monday over several allegations that he misbehaved in office and abused his position of power. Among the incidents at the heart of his removal are allegations that he harassed city council staff, that he skipped mandatory training and that he tried to arrange a $2,000 kickback for himself.
The council attempted to expel Mr King once before in 2019, but it lacked the votes.
Corey Johnson, the Council Speaker, said the vote was a "sad day for the New York City Council," and said that "drastic action is now our only option."
"This is not a decision to be made lightly, but Council Member King has given us no alternative," Mr Johnson said. "This is the third time this committee has had to discipline the Council Member, and yet he continues to show a blatant disregard for the rules and policies put in place to protect staff and the integrity of this body, including undermining the monitor who was imposed to try and correct his egregious behaviour."
Mr King claimed that he was targeted for political reasons and that his removal was unfair.
In his defence, he cited US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas – who was accused of misconduct by Anita Hill during his confirmation hearings – and called the vote to remove him a "high tech lynching orchestrated by my political enemies to satisfy their agenda".
"My heart is breaking right now. I went through the sensitivity training. I continue to fight for New Yorkers. I continue to fight for Bronxites," Mr King said. “It’s not fair what I have experienced right now. If no one has ever gotten expelled for not committing a crime, I ask us not to be the Council that does that."
According to a 48-page report detailing Mr King's misconduct, the former city councilman maintained order in his office through fear and coercion. He allegedly retaliated against staff members who cooperated with investigators examining his conduct and made homophobic comments comparing gay people to paedophiles.
Mr King also was accused of organising a retreat in the Virgin Islands at the same time that his wife's daughter was having her wedding.
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