Victims number five and six have come forward in the sexual harassment case against New York Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak (D), having formally filed complaints with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on Thursday. A seventh complaint is expected to be filed shortly.
To date, the extent of Gabryszak’s punishment seems to be the banning of interns in his government office. This, despite claims that Gabryszak allegedly sent videos to multiple women on his staff showing the Assemblyman receiving oral sex in a bathroom stall, offered one woman a $100,000/yr position if she moved to western New York to get away from her fiance, told one that “she aroused him sexually,” once referred to Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis as “Malliocockkiss”, and lamented the fact that if prostitutes were ever to unionize, he’d never be able to afford their services.
The latest allegations however may cross the line from simple harassment to an actual assault.
Via the Times Union:
Two more women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against state Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak, one of whom claims he lured her to his apartment for a forced kiss and another who says he habitually discussed porn films.
The forced kiss, an allegation made by Trina Tardone, former Director of Communications for the Assemblyman, was staved off after Gabryszak had cornered her inside his apartment. Tardone claims she was at the Assemblyman’s apartment after he insisted she review documents with him there.
… when she was in Albany, the Assemblyman insisted that the claimant go to his apartment and look over documents that he had there. She reluctantly agreed to do so. While at the apartment, the Assemblyman grabbed her and tried to kiss her. The claimant broke away from him, grabbed her briefcase and purse and stated that she would “find a way to work with him, but that she would not be alone with him in any situation.”
Tardone went on to say that she would only work with him around others in the office. Gabryszak responded that he would no longer support her travel to Albany, became increasingly hostile, and threatened her with firing.
The woman sought recourse with the Assemblyman’s Chief of Staff who responded that she should “just ignore it, that is the way Dennis is.”
The second woman to file a complaint yesterday was Emily Trimper. Trimper claims that Gabryszak brought framed photographs of women’s belly buttons to be hung in his government office in Cheektowaga.
… the Assemblyman brought framed black and white photographs of women’s belly buttons and naval areas to hang in his office. The claimant found these sexually charged photographs offensive and inappropriate to hang in a government office.
Trimper also claims that the Assemblyman would frequently dress inappropriately himself in his District Office, “wearing tight jeans and black button down shirts that showed off his chest hair.”
Gabryszak of course, has been married for 37 years and has two children.
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