Hoyt accused of affairs as Assembly panel looks into allegations
Says he broke vows of marriage, not law
Assemblyman Sam Hoyt said late Tuesday that he and his wife experienced “a difficult time in our marriage” in the past after a local blogger forwarded allegations to Speaker Sheldon Silver of affairs with two interns, prompting Silver to promise “appropriate action.”
Hoyt late Tuesday would not address the specifics of his marital difficulties and would neither confirm nor deny involvement with interns other than to acknowledge he had “broken my marriage vows” 3 1/2 years ago.
But a statement issued by Silver’s office indicated that information regarding alleged conduct of a member of the Assembly had been forwarded to the press office and was passed on to the chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Guidance for “appropriate action.”
“The Assembly has strict policies regarding fraternization,” said spokesman Daniel Weiller. “Violations of these policies will not be tolerated.”
Hoyt insisted in his statement and in an interview that no official rules or laws were broken, as alleged by blogger Joseph J. Illuzzi.
“That simply is not true,” Hoyt said.
But the assemblyman would not address whether he was referring to stricter rules against fraternization with interns that were adopted by the Assembly in 2004.
“I understand I am a public figure,” he said. “But I’ve reconciled with my family, and I’m pleased to report I am happily married. No rules were broken; no laws were broken. I broke my marriage vows.
“It happened a long time ago,” he added.
Hoyt said he would not discuss the matter further after he was told Silver had promised to consider allegations his office had received earlier Tuesday.
“My focus is on assuring that my family is protected and that I’m doing a good job for the City of Buffalo and Grand Island,” he said.
The assemblyman also would not discuss his surprise decision not to run for mayor of Buffalo in February 2005 after actively and publicly preparing for the campaign for years. At the time, he cited family considerations.
The Internet has been buzzing over the past several days about Hoyt after Illuzzi posted lurid e-mails that he said were between Hoyt and a woman other than his wife. The blogger threatened to continue publishing more embarrassing e-mails until Hoyt resigned.
The Web site has not provided any concrete verification of the e-mails’ authenticity. And the matter only remained a subject of Web chatter until Illuzzi said Tuesday he had forwarded the e-mails to Silver.
Hoyt also would not address that subject, other than to say that “like a lot of things on the Internet, much of it is false.”
“The credibility of Joe Illuzzi is certainly suspect,” he said late Tuesday.
Hoyt is in a heated race with former Council Member at Large Barbra A. Kavanaugh in the Democratic primary next month for the 144th district.
In his statement, Hoyt accused unnamed “political opponents” of resorting “to the lowest tactics by dredging up a private matter from years ago just 21 days before an election.”
He added: “The timing is no accident.”
Hoyt is the second local assemblyman to be caught up in alleged fraternization problems with legislative interns in the past two years. Assemblyman Michael W. Cole, R-Alden, was censured by the Assembly and stripped of his committee posts last year after spending the night at the apartment of an Albany intern. He has maintained that nothing inappropriate occurred at the apartment and that he stayed there because he was too drunk to drive.
Cole is now in a tough Republican primary election against three opponents.
