Historical Wrongs

Joe Morelle’s career is built on a foundation of ethical failures that he has never fully answered for. In 1990, he committed election fraud to get on the ballot for his first Assembly race—and pleaded guilty. In 2001, when a young woman accused a top aide to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of rape, Morelle told the media he didn’t believe her. The aide was later arrested for raping another woman. These are not ancient history—they are the character of the man who represents New York’s 25th Congressional District.

1990: Cheating His Way Onto the Ballot

Joe Morelle’s political career began with fraud. In 1990, while running for the New York State Assembly in the 132nd District, Acting Supreme Court Justice Franklin O’Rourke ruled that Morelle had fraudulently obtained signatures on nominating petitions to qualify for an independent ballot line. The judge found that a woman had been forced to sign petitions that were brought into her home, and that Morelle had allowed family members to sign petitions on behalf of other individuals without personally witnessing the signatures—both violations of state election law.

The petition flap became the central issue in Morelle’s race against Republican Mark E. Ogden, with the GOP running ads calling it fraud and Morelle’s camp calling those ads a “smear tactic.” During a televised debate, Ogden pressed Morelle on the issue, while Morelle insisted he would be vindicated. A special prosecutor was appointed to investigate.

Morelle narrowly won the election despite the controversy. But the legal consequences followed. In January 1992, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office charged Morelle with seven misdemeanor counts of violating state election law. He denied intentionally breaking the law, but accepted a plea bargain, pleading guilty to two counts of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 32 hours of community service and a $25 fine.

Sources

2001: How Joe Morelle Helped Silence a Rape Victim

In January 2001, Elizabeth Crothers was a 24-year-old staffer at the New York State Assembly, serving as Chief of Staff to Republican Assemblyman Pat Manning. That month, she accused J. Michael Boxley—the chief legal counsel to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver—of raping her in his Albany apartment.

Crothers did what she was supposed to do. She went to the police. She filed a formal internal complaint with the Assembly. And for her courage, the Albany political establishment closed ranks against her.

Speaker Silver launched what Crothers’ attorney, Aaron Stark, would later describe as a “sham” investigation—one that included intrusive phone calls to Crothers’ parents and former employers. Silver held a press conference announcing the investigation while simultaneously declaring his “full faith and confidence in Boxley,” sending an unmistakable signal to Assembly members that Boxley was to be believed and Crothers was not. The investigation ended with no finding of innocence or guilt.

Assemblyman Joe Morelle joined the pile-on. He told the media he didn’t believe her.

In the halls of the Capitol, Crothers became a ghost. She was ostracized, shunned by colleagues who chose political self-preservation over basic decency. She eventually fled Albany, disgusted by the institution she had come to serve.

Then, in 2003, J. Michael Boxley was arrested for raping another young Assembly staffer—a woman he allegedly drugged at a work-related outing before assaulting her in her apartment. He was indicted on four felony counts of rape. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Boxley pleaded guilty to one count of sexual misconduct, a class A misdemeanor. He was sentenced to six years of probation, a $1,000 fine, and was required to register as a sex offender. He was also suspended from the practice of law.

Elizabeth Crothers had been telling the truth. And the people who should have protected her—including Joe Morelle—had instead protected her rapist.

It took seventeen years, but in 2018 Morelle finally apologized for his 2001 remarks, stating that he had spoken “without full knowledge of the situation.” In February 2019, now a member of Congress, Morelle invited Crothers to attend the State of the Union address as his guest. She accepted, saying that “Congressman Morelle has taken the time to listen to victims of sexual harassment and assault about our experiences” and calling his efforts “institutional courage.”

In 2023, Crothers filed suit against New York State under the Adult Survivors Act, challenging Speaker Silver’s handling of her report, the investigation, and the ostracization she endured. The case remains pending, with trial scheduled for August 24, 2026.

Morelle’s Sworn Affidavit (April 2026)

As part of the Crothers litigation, Morelle submitted a sworn affidavit that was reported by the New York Post on April 7, 2026. Under oath, Morelle admitted that in 2001 he had spoken with Boxley about the accusation shortly before making his public dismissal of Crothers:

“Shortly after speaking with Boxley, a reporter for a local news outlet approached me and asked me my thoughts were regarding the rape allegations made by Ms. Crothers against Mr. Boxley. I responded that ‘I absolutely don’t believe a word of it.’”

“When the allegation was made, I did not know Ms. Crothers, and do not believe I had ever met or spoken with her.”

“My statement in 2001 was intended to be supportive of Michael Boxley.”

“Many years later, in 2018, I publicly apologized to Elizabeth Crothers for making that statement in 2001. I recognized that my 2001 statement was insensitive and made without full knowledge of the facts.”

Morelle also acknowledged under oath that he recalled hearing “rumors spread” to smear Crothers, and that he was aware that on December 22, 2003, Boxley “pled guilty to criminal charges and admitted in open court to having sexual intercourse with a 22-year-old Assembly [staffer] without her consent.”

The affidavit is a remarkable admission. Morelle—who would go on to serve as Democratic Assembly Majority Leader under Speakers Silver and Heastie from 2013 to 2018—conceded on the record that he publicly branded a rape victim a liar without ever having met her, based on a conversation with her accused rapist, and that his intent in doing so was to support the accused. By contrast, Boxley invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 40 times in his own deposition in the same case.

The question remains: how many other victims were silenced because powerful men like Joe Morelle chose politics over truth?