Despite his continuing dominance of the Kings County Democratic Committee, State Assembly Member Vito Lopez faces some major challenges:
The New York Times: Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez, a long-serving Brooklyn Democratic leader who is widely viewed as the borough’s patronage king, is at the center of two separate federal investigations, according to several people briefed on the matter. A third inquiry, by the city’s Department of Investigation, those people said, is focused on a network of nonprofit groups Mr. Lopez controls.
All three investigations focus to some extent on the nexus of politics, nonprofit groups and real estate developers in Brooklyn, the people familiar with the inquiries said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.
More bad news came to Lopez today as Lincoln Restler, a member of the insurgent New Kings Democrats, was as reported by The Brooklyn Paper, declared the winner in the race for male district leader for the 50th Assembly district, prevailing over Lopez-backed candidate Warren Cohn. In addition, as also reported in The Brooklyn Paper, a former custodian in a building managed by Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, a not-for-profit organized by Lopez which has as its housing director Lopez’s girlfriend, Angela Battaglia, claims he was fired for supporting an anti-Lopez candidate in last year’s City Council election.
