The Lobbyist Dating Carl Heastie Was Just Laid Off. He Was Not Pleased.
Rebecca Lamorte was let go by her employer in June, prompting the Assembly Speaker to place an upset call to her boss.
Chris Bragg · July 17, 2024
![Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie at his desk in the state Capitol](https://imgproxy.gridwork.co/tsr_hC7GC5NLHskm_IxA9yzR3zD6wrps1kF-5NXzB58/w:820/h:545/rt:fill/g:fp:0.5:0.5/q:90/f:jpg/el:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy51cy1lYXN0LTIuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9ueXNmb2N1cy9oZWFzdGllX3NwZWFrZXJfcGxhY2FyZC5qcGVn.jpg)
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie's romantic relationship with a legislative lobbyist has drawn scrutiny. | New York State Assembly
“It could easily be construed as a threat.”
—John Kaehny, Reinvent Albany
![](https://imgproxy.gridwork.co/-UKCkzG-AoHYswtqkYDJPlrxSIxgcW-vNq6e6HntUkE/w:135/h:190/rt:fill/g:fp:0.5:0.5/q:90/f:jpg/el:1/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy51cy1lYXN0LTIuYW1hem9uYXdzLmNvbS9ueXNmb2N1cy9IZWFkLXNob3QuanBn.jpg)
Chris Bragg is the Albany bureau chief at New York Focus. He has done investigative reporting on New York government and politics since 2009, most recently at The Buffalo News and Albany Times Union.
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