Councilman King hit with new charges

A Bronx Democrat faces new ethics charges and calls for expulsion less than four months after the Council sanctioned him for past misconduct. The new claims include harassment and misuse of taxpayer funds for personal gain.

The Committee on Standards and Ethics on Friday voted to cite Councilman Andy King for numerous violations of Council rules and local city and state laws occurring between 2017 and as recently as Wednesday. He was accused of trying to circumvent an independent monitor the Council voted to place in his office after rampant unethical behavior.

King (inset) was also hit with violating conflicts of interest rules and the Council’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy, as well as disorderly conduct and misappropriating public money for his own benefit.

“We, of course, take such violations of the public trust incredibly seriously and are also issuing charges specific to this apparent misconduct,” said Council Minority Leader Steven Matteo, a Staten Island REpublican who chairs the ethics committee. “I must stress how deeply and profoundly troubled this committee is by the allegations set forth in the charges.”

Speaker Corey Johnson said the Council should expel King from the body if the “incredibly disturbing” allegations are found to be true.

“Council Member King has repeatedly disgraced his office with his actions,” Johnson (DManhattan) said. “If these charges are found to be true, the Council should move to expel him. The appropriate authorities have been made aware of these allegations.”

Comptroller Scott Stringer tweeted, “the City Council should expel Andy King.”

Johnson did not support expelling King last year after the ethics committee released a report detailing how King fostered an abusive environment in his office, regularly menacing staff and making homophobic remarks.