NY Republicans Introduce Cuomo Impeachment Resolution; AG Picks Lawyers to Investigate Sexual Harassment Claims

NY Republicans Introduce Cuomo Impeachment Resolution; AG Picks Lawyers to Investigate Sexual Harassment Claims

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had a double whammy today! Earlier in the day, New York Republicans announced an impeachment resolution against him.

Then, Attorney General Letitia James appointed two lawyers to investigate the sexual harassment accusations against Cuomo.

Impeachment

Barclay and other Republicans made it known that they wanted to impeach Cuomo after James’s January report showed the governor’s COVID-19 policies probably led to more elderly deaths than people thought.

A conversation between Cuomo’s secretary Melissa DeRosa and the state’s Democrats revealed the administration hid the numbers because they did not want to attract President Donald Trump’s attention.

From Fox News:

“We’re going to introduce this resolution because we believe the time has come,” Barclay said. “In order to lead this great state as governor, you need to have credibility and trust … and unfortunately, we feel the governor has lost that and now has an inability to lead.”

Barclay added that “there is been one bombshell after another.”

“I don’t think I’ve used the term ‘bombshell’ especially this week, any time more in my life, it has been one bombshell after another,” Barclay said, laying out the issues plaguing the Cuomo administration.

Cuomo is facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment and a federal probe into his administration’s tally on COVID-19 deaths tied to nursing homes.

“We had the AG report come out saying that the governor was underreporting nursing home deaths by as much as 50%,” Barclay said. “We had that secret political meeting where he had his top aides say they weren’t reporting the nursing home deaths because they were worried about a Department of Justice investigation—they were worried about the political fallout.”

The sexual harassment claims added fuel to the fire. I’ve seen some people say that the women came out to distract the media from the nursing home deaths.

However, Lindsey Boylan first came out in December. She amplified her allegations after James’s report came out and Assemblyman Ron Kim accused Cuomo of threatening him on the telephone.

New York Democrats have called him to resign, including Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

The Republicans cannot force a vote since Democrats hold the majority. But if they can get the Democrats:

According to a tally from Fox News, a total of 37 lawmakers from either the Assembly or state Senate want him to resign, and 10 have called for impeachment.

To impeach the sitting governor, the Assembly needs a majority vote in the 150-member body, and the state Senate—where there would be a conviction—would need a two-thirds majority of court members that would consist of both senators and judges from the state’s court of appeals.

Cuomo has denied some of the allegations against him and his office has denied altering the count of nursing home deaths.

Barclay and Republicans first signaled their intention to form an impeachment commission to “gather facts and evidence” surrounding Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and underreported COVID-19 nursing home deaths in the state last month.

Cuomo refuses to resign. Sources said he told Stewart-Cousins the legislature would have to impeach him because he will not resign.

NY Assembly Republican leader Will Barclay: "The governor's lost so much credibility and trust that we don't feel like he can go forward and govern. So we want to move ahead, do this impeachment assembly." pic.twitter.com/5ah5LheWUC

— The Hill (@thehill) March 8, 2021

Investigation

James chose attorneys Joon Kim and Anne Clark to lead the investigation into the sexual harassment claims. From CNBC:

New York Attorney General Letitia James said that the harassment allegations would be investigated by Joon Kim, who from March 2017 through the following January served as the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Anne Clark, who has represented numerous plaintiffs in sexual harassment lawsuits.

“We are committed to an independent and thorough investigation of the facts,” James said.

Kim and Clark “are independent, legal experts who have decades of experience conducting investigations and fighting to uphold the rule of law,” James said.

“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.”

Kim took over as acting Manhattan US attorney after Preet Bharara was fired in 2017. He investigated the “pay-to-play allegations involving fundraising by and on behalf of de Blasio, his since-shuttered Campaign for One New York non-profit organization and a failed, 2014 effort to help Democrats win control of the state Senate.”

They are both independent, legal experts with decades of experience.

There is no question they have the knowledge and background necessary to lead this investigation and provide New Yorkers with the answers they deserve.

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) March 8, 2021

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