Add Citizens Union to the growing list of organizations and officials calling for a formal investigation of the sexual harassment allegations leveled at Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

Citizens Union is especially concerned with the previously undisclosed harassment claims and the secret $103,000 settlement that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver secured.

Silver has said he regrets keeping the settlement a secret.

And late yesterday Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office released a trove of email conversations detailing its interactions with the Assembly and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office over the issue.

The AG’s office did not approve or review any settlement or payment. DiNapoli’s office said yesterday that it had a very limited role in the payment approval.

In a letter to JCOPE, Executive Director Dick Dadey writes that there needs to be a full determination as to why the settlement was kept from the public.

Citizens Union is deeply disturbed that there was a confidential, private settlement in which public funds were used. Such secret action raises questions about the interests behind the confidential settlement. As attorneys for the complainants are still publicly taking issue with the Speaker’s professed belief that the settlement agreement resulted in halting any further action by the Assembly, there needs to be a determination as to which view is correct and determine why the Assembly did not feel the need to take further action.

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