Monserrate Speaks Out on NOW's Criticism

State Senator Hiram Monserrate accused NOW's NY State chapter of being "willfully malicious and mean-spirited," the Daily Politics reports. Monserrate was referring to a NOW-NYS press release, which is protesting Monserrate's position of power amid allegations that he assaulted his girlfriend; NOW-NYS had stated, "It is inexplicable that our former Governor Spitzer was forced to resign for having sex with a prostitute while Senator Monserrate is allowed to continue in a leadership position. " Monserrate complains, "To compare a situation where both adults insist an accident occurred, to Mr. Spitzer and a young lady who admitted to committing a crime, is to utter a statement maliciously," noting that NOW-NYS never contacted him or his girlfriend. The Daily Politics says (per a source) that Monserrate may consider a defamation suit against NOW-NYS, whose president Marcia Pappas says, "If Mr. Monserrate would go to this extreme to prevent my group from speaking out, what other extremes would Mr. Monserrate go to in other areas of his life?"