Assembly Republicans introduce Cuomo impeachment resolution
ALBANY, N.Y. » Members of the State Assembly Republican Minority Conference introduced an impeachment resolution against Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday.
All four of the Legislature’s conference leaders have called on the Democratic governor to resign, or consider stepping down from office.
“When you lose trust and credibility, you lose the ability to lead. Gov. Cuomo can no longer effectively govern New York. [Sunday’s] statements from the Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly illustrate just how severely diminished that trust is,” Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R,C,I-Pulaski, said in a statement. “His administration has been found to have willfully manipulated data to avoid a federal investigation. Several women have now come forward with harrowing tales of disturbing behavior from the governor.
“It will be impossible for Gov. Cuomo to lead our state out of a pandemic—and negotiate one of the most important budgets in our state’s history—with a complete lack of credibility and trust from both the public and Legislature.”
“Clearly, the governor has no plans to resign. It is incumbent on all 213 members of the Legislature to take steps to remove him
from office. Every day he remains in office is a distraction and hinders the state’s path to recovery,” added Barclay.
Barclay said Assembly Democrats have rejected multiple calls to create a bipartisan Impeachment Commission. However, with mounting scandals and recent statements from conference leaders and rankand-file legislators, the Assembly Republican Conference is now planning to immediately introduce a resolution to remove the governor.
“The more information we receive the more obvious it has become that Andrew Cuomo is not fit to lead New York state. Members of the Legislature on both sides of the aisle have acknowledged he can no longer serve as governor. This impeachment resolution reflects that sentiment and we urge all of our legislative colleagues to support it,” said Assemblyman Ed Ra, R-Franklin Square.
“The accusations against Gov. Cuomo are overwhelming in both number and severity. It is now abundantly clear that this governor can no longer lead our state. His abusive use of power has been evident and the damage these abuses caused have capsized his reputation and the public trust that comes with it. Each further day that Gov. Cuomo spends in office threatens increased harm to our great state - he must be held accountable and I am proud to introduce legislative action to remove him from office,” added Assemblyman Jake Ashby, R,C,I-Castleton.
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday the appointment of former Acting U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon H. Kim and employment discrimination attorney Anne L. Clark as the two attorneys who will lead an independent investigation into allegations of sexual harassment leveled against Cuomo.
According to James, Kim and Clark will be supported in the investigation by Jennifer Kennedy Park, Abena Mainoo, and Yannick Grant.
“We are committed to an independent and thorough investigation of the facts,” James said in a news release. “Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark are independent, legal experts who have decades of experience conducting investigations and fighting to uphold the rule of law. There is no question that they both have the knowledge and background necessary to lead this investigation and provide New Yorkers with the answers they deserve.”
James noted that this team is charged with conducting a thorough and independent investigation of, and the circumstances surrounding, allegations of sexual harassment against Cuomo, including his administration’s handling of such matters. This work will be comprised of — but not limited to — issuing subpoenas and related compliance; examination of relevant documents and records; interviews, including formal depositions; and analysis of data and information pertinent to the investigation.
As required by the enabling statute, the team will report weekly on the investigation to the Office of the Attorney General throughout the duration of the investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the team will produce a written report which will include its findings. The report will be made available to the general public, James noted.