State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is threatening to sue disgraced ex-Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez for failing to pay a $330,000 fine for sexually harassing female staffers, The Post has learned.
The AG's office sent a letter to Lopez in July warning that being a deadbeat — as well as the alleged groper of young women in his employ — has consequences, source familiar with the case said.
Schneiderman wants Lopez to pay up — or else.
The AG said he will impose a 22 percent collection fee — $72,600 — if Lopez fails to satisfy the debt soon.
Schneiderman warned that a lawsuit could follow if Lopez fails to settle, and will demand an additional 9 percent interest as part of any judgment, sources said.
Lopez's delinquency was referred to the attorney general for collection by the Legislative Ethics Commission.
The commission imposed the record fine last year after a scathing investigative report by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics found that Lopez violated the Public Officers Law 33 times by repeatedly harassing at least four women — including instances of groping and other creepy advances.
Facing expulsion, Lopez resigned from the Assembly last year following the release of the damning report, which outraged even jaded Albany politicos.
Lopez, also a defendant in a federal sexual-harassment suit, is now pleading poverty.
In Manhattan federal court on Monday, his lawyer said Lopez, 73, the former powerful Brooklyn Democratic leader, does not have a job and can't pay any settlement.
But Lopez is sitting on $835,187 in campaign cash that under New York's porous campaign-finance law could be used to satisfy his legal liabilities, campaign-finance experts said. The Friends of Vito Lopez campaign account had a balance of $769,615 as of July. And the Committee to Elect Vito Lopez had $65,571.
But the state Board of Elections said that the personal use of campaign funds — such as paying a fine — would violate election law.
Lopez has other assets. The Long Island summer home he shares with girlfriend Angela Battaglia has a market value of $632,479 according to a Town of Southold assessor.
"Even for Vito Lopez, crying poverty while sitting on an $800,000 war chest is pretty shameless. The only responsible thing for him to do is apologize, pay his debts and go away so we can finally close the door on this sad chapter in Brooklyn politics," said political consultant Doug Forand.
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