Erie County Executive Chris Collins is being accused of making an inappropriate comment to a woman at last week's State of the State address.
Assemblyman Joseph Errigo (R-Henrietta) was sitting next to Collins at the State of the State address and Errigo claims he heard Collins tell a woman who was looking for a seat in the crowded chamber that she could have his seat if she'd give him a lap dance.
Assemblyman Errigo says he's never had anything against Collins before this incident. Errigo would not identify the woman involved because he says he's concerned there could be repercussions for her. Errigo tells Eyewitness News he was saving a seat for the woman but she was late, so when Collins arrived he took the seat that was being saved. When the woman eventually arrived that's when the Assemblyman says Collins made the inappropriate comment.
"She comes up the aisle and now this is a very crowded situation here and so she looked at me and said, 'I thought you were going to save me a seat,' and I said, 'Well, I told you to get here earlier,' and he (Collins) says, 'If you want this seat you have to give me a lap dance'," says Errigo.
Collins issued a statement Wednesday evening saying: "The mischaracterization and fictionalization of my conversation with a friend that was purportedly overheard is something that is even beneath the low standards of slash and burn politics. One thing I'm learning is that fighting the status quo in New York is not easy. It's amazing how far individuals will go to protect entrenched political agendas."
This not the first time something Collins has allegedly said has gotten him into hot water. Last year he apologized to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver after he compared Silver to Hitler.
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