New York Senate Democrat won’t face charges after allegedly shoving lobbyist before committee meeting
Fox News
A New York state senator who had to be held back after he allegedly shoved a lobbyist in the Capitol in Albany before a committee meeting on energy and telecommunications will not face charges.
Michael Carey, a lobbyist seeking support for a 911 civil rights bill, told Fox News Digital he was speaking with Democratic Sen. Kevin Parker before the Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications on May 15, when the altercation took place. Late Tuesday, New York State Police spokesperson Stephanie O’Neil said the investigation was closed, and no criminal charges were filed in regard to the “disturbance” at the state Capitol that day.
Carey told The Associated Press that he spoke with Parker on Friday and they “resolved things in a peaceable way.”
Parker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
NEW YORK SENATE DEMOCRAT ALLEGEDLY SHOVED LOBBYIST BEFORE COMMITTEE MEETING, HAD TO BE RESTRAINED
Last week, Carey had been seeking a piece of legislation, and he approached Parker ahead of the meeting and asked for his support.
Specifically, Carey has been calling for a change in state developmental disabilities systems. Carey’s son died in 2007 while he was being cared for by the state.
Carey allegedly tried to explain the situation to Parker ahead of the meeting, to which the latter yelled back, “I don’t care,” the lobbyist claimed.
The two men were standing about 15 feet away when Carey questioned Parker, saying, “You don’t care my son died?”
Parker, for a second time, said, “I don’t care,” Carey said.
Carey then claims he turned around to the others in the room and said, “You heard it, everybody. He doesn’t care.”
The next thing Carey knew, Parker was allegedly in his face.
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Parker allegedly lunged toward Carey after he called the senator out for not showing remorse for his dead son. Onlookers then reportedly pounced to hold Parker back.
After the altercation, Parker was seen taking his seat at the beginning of the committee meeting video and joking about the matter.
“There’s always lots of excitement in this committee,” Parker said. “I don’t know. Someone said my committee meetings are boring.”
He then proceeded to say he hoped Wednesday’s meeting would “be as exciting as the pregame.”
Last year, Parker was accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman early in his legislative career, when he went to her home to discuss disaster relief efforts for Haiti.
In 2005, Parker was arrested and charged with third-degree assault after punching a traffic agent who gave him a ticket for double-parking, according to news reports from that time. In that same year, a former aide accused Parker of threatening her after she publicly complained that he shoved and hit her when she worked for him.
Parker was also convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief charges in 2010 after he chased a New York Post photographer and damaged the person’s camera.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.