[citation needed] Smith was the ranking minority member of the Senate's Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee, and gained notoriety for several brushes with the law.
Garland-Bryan declined to press charges, but wrote an official complaint about the incident to then-Senate Minority Leader Martin Connor, who responded by asserting that he had "no authority" to punish Smith.
The senator arrived at the office following a Weight Watchers meeting that morning and mentioned that she had lost 4.3 pounds.
Smith allegedly pulled off Jackson's hairpiece, threw it to the floor, and said, "'If you tell anyone what happened in this office, I will f—ing kill you'".
In the aftermath of the coffee attack, then-Senate Minority Leader David Paterson stripped Smith of her state-issued car, her honorary title, and a $9,500 per year stipend attached to her leadership position.
Paterson stated that the coffee attack was the latest example of what he called "a pattern of inappropriate, unprofessional and often abusive behavior" from Smith.
[13] Smith was also ordered to pay any medical expenses incurred by Jackson in connection with the attack that were not covered by insurance.