ALBANY – NYS Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has discontinued impeachment proceedings against outgoing Governor Andrew Cuomo. The NYC Democrat made the announcement on Friday, August 13.
“The purpose of the Assembly Judiciary Committee’s impeachment investigation was to determine whether Governor Cuomo should remain in office. The governor’s resignation answers that directive,” Heastie said. Heastie claims that legislature attorneys say that the NYS Constitution does not allow the legislature to impeach an elected official who is no longer in office. Legal scholars consulted by Mid Hudson News said the argument is questionable because Cuomo is still in office. His self-imposed timeline for leaving office amidst a scandal has him remaining in office until August 25.
While declining to proceed with impeaching the disgraced Cuomo, Heastie said “The committee’s work over the last several months, although not complete, did uncover credible evidence in relation to allegations that have been made in reference to the governor. Underscoring the depth of this investigation, this evidence concerned not only sexual harassment and misconduct but also the misuse of state resources in relation to the publication of the governor’s memoir as well as improper and misleading disclosure of nursing home data during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Heastie’s admission of evidence of wrongdoing by Cuomo while halting the proceeding has been met with criticism by many. Rockland County Republican Assemblyman Mike Lawler said “I’m disgusted that the Speaker and Assembly Democrats are putting the protection of Andrew Cuomo’s misdeeds above justice for the families of tens of thousands of seniors killed by Cuomo’s March 25th nursing homes order, above the 11 women that the Governor sexually harassed and assaulted, and above the millions of New Yorkers driven away from our state by the Governor’s corrupt policies.”
Fellow Republican Assemblyman Colin Schmitt also denounced the decision, exclaiming “The Speaker’s decision to suspend the impeachment inquiry investigation into Andrew Cuomo reeks of politics at its worst,” and questioned the Speaker’s motives, adding ” What deal was cut between the Speaker of the Assembly and Cuomo?”
State Senator Sue Serino (R-Hyde Park), who has been critical of Cuomo on many issues, including the COVID nursing home deaths and harassment of women at the forefront, also took offense to Heastie’s decision. “While Cuomo’s resignation was one small step toward restoring integrity in the Capitol, today’s announcement from the Assembly represents giant steps backward.” Noting that Hudson Valley Democratic Assemblymembers were silent after the Friday, Serino added ” The Assembly’s Supermajority has been dragging its feet and looking for any way out of impeachment from day one, and it is not right. Resignation is one thing, but accountability is another thing altogether.”
