Councilman Andy King facing harassment charge from Standards and Ethics Committee

City Councilman Andy King, of the Bronx, was charged with harassment by the Committee on Standards and Ethics Wednesday, chairman and Minority Leader Steven Matteo said. Photo Credit: Todd Maisel

City Councilman Andy King is facing accusations of misconduct, according to Minority Leader Steven Matteo, chairman of the Standards and Ethics Committee.

King (D-Bronx) was charged by the committee on Wednesday with harassment, disorderly conduct, conflict of interest violations and retaliation, a spokesman for Matteo (R-Staten Island) said. Specific details of the allegations were not disclosed.

A hearing in the case is set for Sept. 10. A request for comment from King’s office was not immediately returned.

The charges were leveled during a committee meeting on Wednesday, which was attended by all five of its members. The lawmakers declined to comment following the meeting, the New York Daily News reported.

Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who was not present at the meeting, described the charges as "disturbing."

“These are disturbing allegations that come after a careful and thorough investigation. I trust Standards & Ethics to weigh all of the evidence in this case and make the right decision," Johnson said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

Following the hearing, where King will be able to respond, the Standards and Ethics Committee will issue a report where it will determine if he violated any ethics rules and issue a recommendation to the full Council. The violations could result in a form of punishment including censure or fines and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the full Council.

This is the second time in two years that King has been accused of misconduct.

He was required to take sensitivity training last year after he was accused of paying "unwelcome attention" to a woman on his staff. During a committee hearing in February 2018, Matteo said King had repeatedly asked the staffer to "smile more" and once told her he hoped she would wear a "beautiful gown" to a fundraising gala he invited her to.