Vito Lopez associate pleads guilty in contempt case
Assemb. Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn) Credit: Bryan Pace, 2001
The former head of a Brooklyn nonprofit founded by scandal-plagued Assemb. Vito Lopez pleaded guilty Thursday to sending out false documents relating to her salary in response to a federal grand jury subpoena.
Christiana Fisher, 57, the onetime executive director of the Ridgewood-Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, faces up to 6 months in prison for contempt.
She admitted providing misleading information to investigators about the nonprofit board's approval of her compensation that, according to the charity's tax filings, topped $600,000. She also agreed to forfeit $170,659.
Fisher has worked at the Senior Citizens Council for more than 30 years, and is a longtime friend and confidante of Lopez, who has been under scrutiny this year over secret settlements the Assembly paid to aides who accused him of sexual groping.
But the federal investigation of the finances of the nonprofit predated the Assembly scandal, and Fisher did not agree to cooperate with the government as part of her misdemeanor plea, her attorney said.
"This has nothing to do with Vito; this has only to do with Chris," said Fisher's attorney, Douglas Grover. "For someone who led a life of helping elderly people for many years, it's a difficult and sad day."
Fisher's sentencing was set for April 17.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
Sarra Sounds Off Ep. 35: EI baseball, girls lacrosse and plays of the week On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," we look at East Islip baseball's inspirational comeback story, Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week and Tess Ferguson breaks down the top defensive players in girls lacrosse.
