The leader of the state Senate said an indicted Republican senator is staying on for now to help work on the upcoming state budget vote and other issues.
Senate Republican Majority Leader John Flanagan said he’s sticking by Rob Ortt, a senator from western New York, for now, saying he can’t speculate on charges that Ortt, while mayor of North Tonawanda, arranged for a no-show job for his wife in order to pad his own salary.
“I believe in our system of jurisprudence, and I have great faith in Rob Ortt,” Flanagan said. “He’s a good friend and a good colleague.”
The Senate leader said he did not ask for, nor did he expect, Ortt to resign from the Senate.
Flanagan would not comment on whether he believes that the prosecution, by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, is “political,” as Ortt charged in a statement.
“That’s not for me to judge,” he said.
Flanagan said Ortt, who was not in the chamber Thursday afternoon, will continue to work on issues of importance to his constituents.
The GOP has a tenuous hold on the Senate, with only 31 members. They hold the majority because one Democrat meets with the GOP.
