Eric may face more accusers
The pols maneuver
County) and his GOP conference are the latest to back the idea. They believe Underwood’s experience and the fact she won’t run make her a solid placeholder.
“Making a political choice would give one candidate a leg up,” one Senate Republican official said. “Our position is that ultimately the voters should decide.”
Even former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman (DBrooklyn), who has applied for the interim job, said in her cover letter to lawmakers that she only wants to be considered if Underwood is not the Legislature’s choice.
“Having worked with her for eight years, I believe she can honorably and capably perform the functions of the office until the next election,” Holtzman wrote. “If, however, she is to be replaced, I wish to be considered.”
David Yassky, a former city Taxi & Limousine Commission chairman, pulled out of seeking the interim appointment Sunday, saying Underwood should be the choice.
But the big fight could be at the upcoming state Democratic convention, where candidates would need at least 25% of the delegate vote to secure spots on the September primary ballot. Otherwise, they must petition their way on to the ballot.
Besides James, potential Democratic candidates are former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who hasn’t ruled it out; Hudson Valley Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who is also seeking the interim appointment from the Legislature; Rep. Kathleen Rice of Nassau County; Fordham Law Prof. Zephyr Teachout, and state Sen. Michael Gianaris of Queens.
Cuomo, during an interview with NY1 on Sunday, also floated the names of his counsel, Alphonso David, and his previous counsel, Mylan Denerstein.
Cuomo, the de facto head of the Democratic Party, said he will interview all the candidates heading into the convention, a move ripped by Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, the presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee.
“Any prospective attorney general candidate with respect for the office, separation of powers and a commitment to preserving the integrity of an ongoing legal proceeding would tell the governor where to stick his interview because the attorney general of New York doesn’t work for you,” Molinaro said. “Attorney general candidates who do accept the interview should be disqualified from office.” On the Republican side, little-known Manhattan corporate lawyer Manny Alicandro (photo inset bottom) and Rockland County Attorney Thomas Humbach are the only declared candidates. But with Schneiderman, who was expected to cruise to a third term, now gone, Republicans are trying to find other candidates. John Cahill, the former top aide to ex-Gov. George Pataki who unsuccessfully challenged Schneiderman four years ago, is considering another run, though one source close to him deemed it “unlikely.” Another former Pataki official, exstate Housing Commissioner Joseph Holland, recently wrote GOP county chairmen to say he’s still seeking the Republican nomination for governor, but would be open to switching to the attorney general race. Also considering runs are state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-S.I.) and former GOP state Sen. Raymond Maier of upstate Rome. NO ONE should be surprised if more women accuse former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman of assault, the NYPD’s recently retired chief of detectives said Sunday.
“Other people might come forward now,” Robert Boyce, who left the department last month, said on ABC’s “Up Close.”
“We’ve seen this in the (Harvey) Weinstein investigation, where other people came forward when we started investigating (complaints by) one or two people,” Boyce said.
Hearing from more witnesses will help determine if there’s a pattern to Schneiderman’s alleged behavior that might help build a case, Boyce inset) said.
Boyce said he hopes Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, whom Gov. Cuomo has named a special prosecutor in the case, will ask NYPD detectives to help.
He said detectives will try to corroborate the women’s stories with text messages, emails and other digital evidence.
Detectives will also want to speak with anyone who may have spoken about the assaults with the victims. That will help corroborate the victims’ stories, Boyce said.
Four women have accused Schneiderman of assaulting them during romantic relationships or encounters, The New Yorker reported May 7.
Two of those women went on the record, telling the magazine that Schneiderman “repeatedly hit them, often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with their consent.”
Schneiderman — who has positioned himself as a champion of women’s rights and opponent of sex harassers — resigned three hours after The New Yorker article went online. (photo