The Boss

Vito Lopez Interview Veers Awkwardly Into Discussion of Federal Investigation [Video]

By David Freedlander 10/25/11 12:36pm

Brooklyn Democratic boss Vito Lopez sat down for an interview with “Good Day New York” this morning to discuss the march he has planned for later this afternoon to support Occupy Wall Street.

Mr. Lopez said that 50 different organizations were participating, including 11 unions and 15 politicians in a march that will go across the Brooklyn Bridge from Borough Hall to Zuccotti Park.

“We have the rich getting richer, so we figured it would be nice to stand up and advocate for a millionaires tax—city level, state level,” he said.

Mr. Lopez then suggested that instead of a tax, ” We could have the top 400 Wall Street companies each give $2 million–and that’s nothing–and that’s $2 billion we could use as a reserve fund to do infrastructure buildings, save the schools, save housing.”

The interview then reminded us of why Mr. Lopez so seldom grants interviews. Host Greg Kelly asked the longtime Assemblyman about the status of the two federal investigations into the social service empire he controls.

“This is totally out-of-context as to why I am here,” Mr. Lopez shot back.  ”In reality there is a very comprehensive, big not-for-profit in my district that does very very well in providing social services and supportive services. I am very supportive of what they are doing.”

Asked about his group, Ridgewood-Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, Mr. Lopez said, They are not my group. It is a group that serves my district.”

Asked then if his girlfriend serves as head of the organization, Mr. Lopez replied, “I am not going to get into who my girlfriend is or not.”

The whole thing is pretty amazing. Take a look:

Assmeblyman To Lead Protest March: MyFoxNY.com

 

 

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topics: Occupy Wall Street, The Boss, vito lopez
  • Anon

    Plus, the salary of Lopez and his girlfriend put them easily into the 1% category (check the 990s to see the high salary/benefits).

  • Anonymous

    Vito Lopez is going back to his “ROOTS” and that is a good thing.

    For to long he has become a power broker and forgot his “ROOTS” and being a power broker has gotten him into trouble.

    If news reports are correct about the various investigations regarding him and his “Friends”

    These “Friends” have been making big 1% bucks and he seemed not to notice.

    Now that he has returned to his “ROOTS” give up the County Leadership, ket Lincoln and his “Buddies” fight over it.

    Before there was the “Oracle at Delphi” there was Count Vampire J. Machiavelli

    VJ Machiavelli
    Power to the People who “VOTE”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UAXSCOALTIPUKWQV4HN7IGF4JA Helen

    There goes Fox News again, trying to divert people’s attention
    from what’s important. Lopez is right, at a time when many people in this
    country are losing their homes, and unable to find work, we need to focus finding ways
    to make the wealthy contribute their fair share to our economy.

     

    I was at yesterday’s rally and march, along with hundreds of other
    people, and it was a huge success. The people there were a diverse mix of Brooklyn residents, union members from across the city, elected officials, and a lot of
    people that are generally upset that while regular day to day people have to
    struggle, banks and other corporations are making profits and pushing their own
    agenda of deregulation and cuts to necessary programs both in Albany and Washington.

     

    Why not focus on that, instead of having us sift through
    seven minutes of day time news to find a few seconds of conflict that honestly has no purpose? 

  • johnberg

    this report is”totally out of context”, Vito did answer the question, he answered that he is NOT under investigation, but the objective media would not report that, just plain skip it.

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