Resolution for 2014: Clean up Albany

Ugly allegations against a Buffalo-area assemblyman are bringing Albany’s Year of Shame to a scandal-soaked close — and none too soon. This latest chapter shows again how much work legislative leaders have yet to do in cleaning house — and how much more seriously voters must take their duty to enforce accountability.

Democrat Dennis Gabryszak is the latest state lawmaker to bring shame upon himself, his office and his state this year. The married 62-year-old faces a string of sexual harassment charges from one current and three former aides — all twentysomething females. His alleged behavior is tawdry, vile and, unfortunately, nothing new in the state Assembly, where his former downstate colleague Vito Lopez resigned in May amid similarly slimy charges.

Just as bad, there are allegations Gabryszak’s chief of staff ignored repeated complaints. This, too, is nothing new in the Assembly. Recall, Speaker Sheldon Silver put together a secret financial settlement with two of Lopez’s accusers in an attempt to keep the allegations quiet.

Such actions continue to be a stain on the Legislature and its leadership. Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle, who has not spoken out loudly on this issue, must use his position of authority and influence to push for stronger responses, as well as overdue reforms.

In short, the boy’s club mentality must cease. Gov. Andrew Cuomo must demand as much when he addresses lawmakers next month for his annual State of the State speech. After all, Cuomo ran for office on a platform that included reforming such public malfeasance. His campaign even published a treatise on the subject whose first plank was, “1. Clean Up Albany. We must restore honor and integrity to government ... .”

But honor and integrity have remained in shockingly short supply. Just this year, aside from the Lopez and Gabryszak fiascoes, two state senators were charged with corruption, two Assembly members were charged with soliciting and/or accepting bribes, and another assemblyman resigned after pleading guilty to perjury.

This Class of ’13 is but the latest in a long list of fallen lawmakers, including a former comptroller and a former governor. No wonder so many in New York have for so long been fed up with Albany.

State leaders, from Cuomo down, must commit themselves to making the rooting out of this unseemly corruption a 2014 resolution. Should they again fail, voters must make a resolution of their own: to hold accountable at the voting booth not only the wrongdoers, but those who aid and abet their behavior from the state’s halls of power.