New York Senate Democrat allegedly shoved lobbyist before committee meeting, had to be restrained
Fox News
A New York state senator had to be held back after he allegedly shoved a lobbyist in the capital building in Albany before a committee meeting on energy and telecommunications.
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 Wednesday, when the altercation took place.
Carey had been seeking a piece of legislation, and he approached Parker ahead of the meeting and asked for his support.
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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, 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.
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.
Fox News Digital reached out to Parker and the state police for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Still, Carey said he has filed charges against Parker. He said he is not sure how the senator reached the level of assaulting him, but he hopes Parker gets help for his anger.
“That’s my hope,” Carey said. “I don’t wish the senator ill will.”
Charges have not been filed against either man.
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.”
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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.
The lawsuit filed in November 2023 claims Parker assaulted the woman in 2004. She claimed they were working on providing aid to Haiti, and after finishing a discussion about her work, she stood up and said goodbye.
The woman alleges that Parker then grabbed her wrists, took her down a hallway to her bedroom, made a sexual comment and raped her, according to the lawsuit.
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 their camera.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.