Accused sex abuser Juan Ardila shamed by Queens CB2 no-confidence vote
Accused sex abuser Assemblyman Juan Ardila (D-Queens) on Thursday night suffered another political humiliation following a nearly unanimous no-confidence vote by Queens Community Board 2.
“He has not been fully engaged in legislative activities for which he was elected … the district has suffered by his lack of effective advocacy,” reads the resolution approved by a 34-1 vote.
The formal slapdown belies claims by the freshman legislator that he can effectively rep his constituents despite widespread calls for his resignation following accusations of forcible touching by two women at a 2015 party.
One of the women also claims the self-described progressive exposed himself and kissed her — allegations that Ardila no longer denies, though he refuses to resign.
“New York has time and time again, let down women frankly, throughout this entire state throughout this entire city, we see sexual abuse scandals happen far too often,” CB2 Member Zeeshan Ott said at the meeting.
“It’s important that we take a strong stand against it.”
Ardila did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday night.
The embattled legislator has previously apologized for “past behavior” while refusing to discuss publicly the alleged sexual abuse first revealed by the Queens Chronicle on March 13.
A series of political humiliations followed.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), and nearly every elected official in Queens have called on him to resign.
“I put my statement out and am focusing on doing the work,” the Queens lawmaker told The Post last month while refusing to elaborate during a tortured interview inside a state Capitol elevator.
While Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) has not joined them, The Post exclusively revealed last month that fellow Queens Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry would handle discretionary funding for Ardila’s district – a key part of a state legislator’s day job after the legislative session ends in June each year.
The Post also revealed in recent weeks that a former landlord claims Ardila still owes $19,200 in back rent, which Ardila emphatically denies, despite the $142,000 per year salary he gets as a legislator following his 2022 election.
And some Albany Dems are unwilling to even have their photo taken with Ardila, including at a recent photo shoot near the Capitol where the accused sex abuser had to stand on the sidelines while everyone else mugged for the cameras.
Ardila passed a bill before sexual misconduct allegations became public – but not a single one since.
A no-confidence vote by the community board covering the bulk of his district covering Long Island City, Sunnyside, Maspeth, and Ridgewood comes after fellow Queens pols slammed him at the May CB2 meeting for his refusal to discuss the sexual abuse accusations.
“I want to make sure that I make it clear that you have to address what the women are calling [for] and you cannot ignore the calls for resignation from the victims and then not say anything,” City Councilwoman Julie Won said.
“You have to explain why you’re refusing to resign.”
