ALBANY — Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is coming under increasing fire for leaving top aide Bill Collins on the payroll despite his mishandling of another sexual harassment complaint.
Among those joining the fray Thursday was Elizabeth Crothers, the former Assembly legislative aide who in 2001 accused Silver’s then-chief counsel Michael Boxley of raping her.
Crothers said Collins further victimized her in 2003 when he sent a letter threatening to smear her in the press if she continued to speak out after a second staffer accused Boxley of rape.
Now, Collins is in hot water for allegedly covering up allegations made four years ago against Assemblyman Micah Kellner, a Manhattan Democrat, by a twenty-something woman who worked for him.
Silver released a statement this week saying Collins was leaving the Assembly over the flap — but the News reported exclusively Thursday that he’s still on the payroll even though Silver says he has known about the latest coverup since early June.
Crothers said the latest revelations don’t surprise her.
“It’s probably hard to handle one of these cases correctly when you’re trying to cover it up,” she told the Daily News.
The newest scandal comes just two months after a scathing ethics commission investigation slammed Silver for his role in burying complaints against disgraced former Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez.
Collins played a key role in negotiating a secret $103,000 settlement with two staffers who accused Lopez of harassment.
Aides to Silver, who vowed to make the Assembly a safer place for women, claim he acted swiftly by immediately referring the matter to the chamber’s Ethics Committee when he learned that Collins had failed to bring the Kellner matter to his attention four years ago. But he has offered no explanation for why Collins is still drawing his $145,000 salary.
“I don’t understand why if (Silver) found out on June 7 and didn’t like how it was handled, why didn’t he fire him then?” Crothers asked.
Some insiders believe that with 36 years of state service, Collins was preparing to retire soon anyway and that tying his departure to the Kellner matter was a way to protect Silver — something Silver aides vehemently deny.
Silver spokesman Michael Whyland said Collins’ last day at work will be July 31, but a Silver aide noted that with accrued vacation time, he’ll be collecting a check until Aug. 15.
Collins, who declined comment, has worked for Silver since 1998.
