New York: New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced that the impeachment investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo will move swiftly and come to an end soon as state lawmakers from both parties call for an end to the governor’s time in office.
Heastie, a Democrat, issued the statement after Attorney General Letitia James and her office released a report detailing the findings of an independent investigation into allegations that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women between 2013 and 2020.
“After our conference this afternoon to discuss the Attorney General’s report concerning sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo, it is abundantly clear to me that the Governor has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office,” Heastie said in a statement, reported Fox News. “Once we receive all relevant documents and evidence from the Attorney General, we will move expeditiously and look to conclude our impeachment investigation as quickly as possible.”
In a separate statement, Heastie described the findings of the attorney general’s probe as “disturbing.”
“The conduct by the Governor outlined in this report would indicate someone who is not fit for office,” he said.
But Cuomo remained defiant. In a pre-recorded video, on Tuesday he denied wrongdoing and said he wouldn’t resign. He also claimed that some of his sexual harassment was in fact misinterpreted by women staff members due to cultural and generational divides between he and them.
The impeachment investigation has been going on since March, and Democratic leadership has faced criticism from Republicans for its slow progress.
Democratic Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine said in a statement that Assembly counsel and independent counsel from the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell are going over the report. “We are reviewing the Attorney General’s extensive report documenting sexual harassment and misconduct committed by Governor Cuomo,” Lavine said. “The findings are extraordinarily disturbing. The details provided by the victims are repugnant.”
Republican leadership also weighed in on the attorney general’s report. New York Republican Party chair Nick Langworthy said the report’s findings were “disturbing” but “should not come as a surprise to anyone.”
Guv will face criminal charges: Mayor Bill de Blasio
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday Gov. Andrew Cuomo should face criminal charges, predicting the embattled governor will eventually step down after AG Letitia James probe report found he “violated” state and federal laws.
“If you assault a woman, you do something against her will sexually, that’s criminal,” de Blasio said on CBS Wednesday.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares said Tuesday that his office is opening a criminal investigation into Cuomo, after the report released by James. “We are conducting our own separate investigation,” he said on NBC Nightly News.
