Scandal-plagued Assemblyman Vito Lopez dies at 74

Former assemblyman Vito Lopez, whose career ended with a damning sexual harassment scandal, has died, his attorney confirmed Tuesday morning.

The disgraced former lawmaker had been battling leukemia. Assemblyman Vito Lopez harassed at least eight of his aides.

Kings County Democratic Party leaders picked Lopez to chair the party in 2006, replacing Clarence Norman following his felony conviction.

He died at the hospital soon after, said Seddio, who had replaced Lopez as Brooklyn chairman. He said Lopez fought for working people and seniors in his district.

Lopez was fined by the state a hefty $330,000.

“I will challenge anyone to think of anyone who has done more for affordable housing and transformation of the community in Brooklyn’s history”, he said. He moved to the then-predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood of Bushwick in 1973 and founded the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, which came to offer an array of social services to residents of all ages-but attracted controversy for its high salaries to politically connected employees and, in 2010, for falsifying records relating to city funds.

Lopez’ alleged harassment centered on female staffers in his office, who had accused him of groping and repeated inappropriate comments.

Lopez was a longtime powerful force in Brooklyn and Albany, where he served as the chairman of the state Assembly Housing Committee.

A few months ago, The NY Post reported that Lopez’s dying wish was to make it up to one of his youngest victims by by getting her mom a seat on the judicial bench.