BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY November 3, 2019 2
CM King suspended for harassment, retaliation, disorderly conduct
BY ALEX MITCHELL
AMNEWYORK REPORTER
Councilman Andy King received
a month-long suspension
from offi ce following a probe into
harassment and confl ict of interest
charges dating back to early
2017.
The City Council voted down a
resolution to expel King, but opted
instead to ban the lawmaker from
City Council for 30 days and fi ne
him $15,000. It’s the lengthiest
suspension voted on in the modern
history of the Council, according
to Speaker Corey Johnson,
who addressed the charges
prior to a vote.
Johnson also said that King
will be required to hire an offi ce
monitor on staff — another dubious
fi rst for a sitting city lawmaker.
In the end, 44 Council members
voted in favor of King’s suspension.
King voted against his
own suspension, and two others
— Brooklyn’s Inez Barron and
Queens’ I. Daneek Miller — abstained.
The term-limited councilman,
who represents the 12th District
in Co-op City and north Bronx
neighborhoods, ran into trouble
after the council’s Committee On
Standards and Ethics released a
48-page report detailing the allegations
of harassment, confl ict of
interest, retaliation, disorderly
conduct just a week earlier. King
previously had to undergo training
for similar issues in 2017.
Going through the report and
transcripts against King made
Johnson “literally sick to (his)
stomach,” the speaker said.
The council’s Ethics Committee
has been investigating King
since early on in 2017, alleging
that he “engaged in gender-based
harassment” regarding a photo
accidentally posted to his Twitter
account by a staffer that was intended
for their personal account
in June 2015.
The report on King said he allegedly
referred to that photo being
the same “as child pornography”
in front of staff while also
alleging King to have set up his
wife, Neva Shillingford-King to
“essentially help run his offi ce”
while also giving her the power
to hire staffers. The council also
resolved that Shillingford-King
may not have any future involvement
in her husband’s offi ce.
He’s also accused of misappropriating
council funds for a
‘retreat’ fi t for a king in the U.S.
Virgin Islands, one that both the
council member and his wife attended.
King was also alleged to have
allowed a staffer to behave “in a
verbally and physically threatening
manner,” according to the
report.
The Ethics Committee also alleged
that King retaliated against
staffers that he believed would
cooperate with the investigation.
King said “ever since I’ve been
in offi ce I’ve treated my staff like
family,” during his Monday afternoon
hearing—which he referred
to as a crucifi xion while
also saying his due process was
being violated.
Queens Council member
Jimmy Van Bramer made the
motion to expel King, which
was vocally supported by Brooklyn
Council Member Carlos
Menchaca — though that was
voted down by a count of 34 to 12.
King’s suspension also entails
that he will be removed as
chair from the council’s Committee
on Juvenile Justice in
addition to being removed as a
member from the Committee on
Civil Service and Labor, Committee
on Education, Committee
on Parks and Recreation, Committee
on State and Federal Legislation
and Committee on Youth
Services.
He could reapply for those
and other committee positions
in a year.
Johnson also noted that King
may still face criminal charges,
pending an investigation.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (at right) had introduced a resolution to expel City Councilman Andy King
Photo by Alex Mitchell
Bronx Veterans Day Parade in Throggs Neck, Sun., Nov. 10th
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The Bronx veteran community
is getting ready to wave their fl ags
and pay tribute to vets across the
borough.
The 35th annual Bronx Veteran’s
Parade in Throggs Neck kicks off at
noon on Sunday, November 10, at
Lafayette and East Tremont avenues
and marches via Randall Avenue
to Bicentennial Veterans Memorial
Park.
This year’s parade—sponsored
by the Veterans Day Parade Committee
of Greater NY—commemorates
the 100th Anniversary of the American
Legion, which was founded after
WWI and the 244th birthday of the
United States Marine Corps.
The streets will be lined with
brand new American fl ags as well as
service fl ags representing the Army,
Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force,
Coast Guards and POW (Prisoner of
War).
The grand marshal for the parade
is local Roberto Oviedo, who served
as a legal support specialist in the
U.S. Marine Corps from 1988 to 1993
and conducted security operations
during the Gulf War in 1991-92.
Following an honorable discharge
from the U.S. Marine Corps
in December 1993, Oviedo pursued a
career in law and worked for several
law fi rms. He is currently an NYPD
detective working for the Community
Affairs Bureau at the 44th Precinct,
serving as a liaison between
the community and NYPD.
Oviedo also serves as the fi rst
vice commander of the Throggs
Neck American Legion Post 1456.
“It’s truly an honor. When I
graduated high school, my mother
gave me two options: join the military
or get out and get a job,” said
Oviedo, who grew up in the Patterson
Houses on Morris Avenue.
“I chose to become a U.S. Marine
Corp.”
As the grand marshal, Oviedo
is looking to shine awareness on
veteran and NYPD suicides, as he
marches down the parade route
distributing suicide prevention
hotline bracelets.
“We all know that 22 veterans
of all eras a day commit suicide.
We want to let these veterans know
that there is help and there is someone
to talk too, and there have also
been 10 NYPD offi cers who have
committed suicide,” Oviedo said.
To help veterans coping with
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD), Oviedo and his wife established
the organization, Creating
Pets and Vets.
“We saw that providing service
dogs to those qualifi ed vets
that have PTSD or even Traumatic
Brain Injury (TBI) - will help them
with both mental and physical illness,”
said Oviedo, who has a service
dog that was honored.
Oviedo also spearheaded the
creation of the fi rst Bigs in Blue
program (Big Brothers and Big Sisters
of America) at P.S. 218 in the
south Bronx and expanded across
the city. The organization is a oneto
one mentoring program connecting
youth with police in communities
throughout the nation.
According to Ron Watson, retired
lieutenant colonel of the U.S.
Marine Corps who served 22 years
on active duty, there will be 10 honorary
grand marshals – veterans
that have passed away within the
past year.
Additionally, the parade will include
the NYPD, color guards, the
NYPD Band, NYPD Marine Corps
Association, the NYPD Explorers,
bands, schools, and the American
Legion Units.
Following the parade, community
members and businesses that
made a donation to the fl ag fundraising
effort will be recognized.
Ron Watson (l.) retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Marine Corps and co-chair
of the Veterans Day Parade Committee of Greater NY, with Bronx Veteran Parade
Grand Marshal, Roberto Oviedo, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1988-
1993. Photo by Carlotta Mohamed
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