New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Gov. Andrew Cuomo “can no longer remain in office” and must be impeached “as quickly as possible,” after the attorney general’s office released a report that alleges he committed criminal sexual harassment, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“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,” said Heastie, who controls impeachment proceedings.
Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday released a 165-page report into allegations that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women.
The report concludes that Cuomo created a “hostile work environment,” “violated” his office’s “internal policies,” and engaged in “unlawful retaliation” against one accuser.
“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,” Heastie said.
Cuomo, a three-term Democrat, has few Democrat allies remaining, yet he has so far refused to resign.
The Democrat-controlled state assembly and state senate have both turned against him.
The state Assembly can impeach Cuomo with a simple majority vote.
Then the state Senate will hold a trial, in which state appeals court judges vote alongside senators, and can convict him and remove him from office with a two-thirds majority.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat, also said Cuomo “can no longer serve as Governor.”
Democrat U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said Cuomo “has lost the confidence of his governing partners” and “should resign.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — already a consistent Cuomo political foe — stepped up the criticism and claimed the governor “should be charged,” the New York Post reported.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares launched a criminal investigation into Cuomo’s sexual misconduct after James released the report, which alleged that Cuomo committed state and federal crime.
Nearly 60 percent of New York’s voters, including 52 percent of registered Democrats, said Cuomo should resign, and almost 60 percent said the Assembly should impeach him if he does not resign, Fox News reported.
