New York Republicans Move to Impeach Cuomo as State AG Appoints Lawyers to Lead Harassment Inquiry
Republican legislators in New York moved on Monday to impeach Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), saying he had lost “credibility and trust.”
“The trust is gone, and to continue allow the governor to wield that kind of power just can’t happen, and it’s not in the best interests of New Yorkers,” Assemblyman Ed Ra said at an afternoon press conference where Republican lawmakers had gathered to announce they would introduce a resolution by the end of the day aimed at impeaching Cuomo.
The embattled governor, elected to his third term in office in 2018, is facing accusations of sexual harassment from four women who previously worked as aides in his office, including Lindsey Boylan, Charlotte Bennett, Ana Liss, and Karen Hinton. Another woman, Anna Ruch, has accused Cuomo of an unwanted advance when the two met for the first time at a wedding reception in 2019.
“The accusations against Gov. Cuomo are overwhelming in both number and severity,” said Assemblyman Jake Ashby, the author of the impeachment resolution. “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 have caused have capsized his reputation and the public trust that comes with it.
“He must be held accountable,” Ashby said.
The move comes the same day New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) announced she was appointing Anne Clark, an employment attorney, and Joon Kim, a former federal prosecutor who temporarily served as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to investigate the allegations.
Cuomo said Sunday there was no chance he would voluntarily depart from the governor’s mansion. “I was elected by the people of the state,” he said at a press conference. “I wasn’t elected by politicians. I’m not going to resign because of allegations. The premise of resigning because of allegations is actually antidemocratic, and we’ve always done the exact opposite. The system is based on due process and the credibility of the allegation.”
