In a letter despatched Thursday, attorneys working for the New York State Meeting Judiciary Committee’s impeachment probe knowledgeable Cuomo’s attorneys that the “Committee’s investigation is nearing completion and the Meeting will quickly take into account potential articles of impeachment in opposition to your shopper.”
The committee’s attorneys additionally invited Cuomo to submit extra proof or written submissions to the committee by no later than August 13.
An legal professional for Cuomo, Rita Glavin, stated Thursday that the AG’s investigators acted as “prosecutor, decide and jury” and that the governor will cooperate with the Meeting’s investigation.
Glavin stated Cuomo “appreciates the chance to offer a submission to them” and accused the report of omitting “paperwork, emails, and testimony that contradict its narrative.”
Cuomo has denied the allegations made within the state legal professional normal report and has remained defiant in opposition to the mounting strain to resign from high-profile Democrats together with President Joe Biden, Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer.
Since March, the Judiciary Committee has been wanting into Cuomo in 4 areas: the sexual harassment allegations, deaths in nursing houses from Covid-19, usurping state assets for private acquire, and allegations of a canopy up over broken bridge bolts on the Mario Cuomo Bridge, named after the previous New York governor who’s Andrew Cuomo’s father.
The committee attorneys will evaluate any additional supplies Cuomo decides to submit, after which the Judiciary committee would meet and take into account which articles of impeachment to formally suggest to the total Meeting, Democratic Assemblyman Phil Steck, a member of the Judiciary Committee, informed CNN’s Polo Sandoval Thursday.
“Assuming that the committee’s investigation is similar to the findings of the legal professional normal, it could be onerous to think about that sexual harassment wouldn’t be a foundation for impeaching this governor,” he stated.
Steck added that the committee could also be taking a look at extra impeachment expenses.
“I am hoping and believing that we’ll have this wrapped up from the Judiciary committee’s perspective in early September,” he stated.
The committee is actively contemplating proof and the way it would possibly apply to articles of impeachment, however will seemingly not formally current them to the Meeting till after that August 13 deadline relying on the governor’s response, in line with a supply conversant in the impeachment investigation.
Reacting to the legal professional normal’s report Tuesday, New York state Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie stated in a press release that Cuomo has “misplaced the arrogance of the Meeting Democratic majority and that he can now not stay in workplace.”
He added that the Meeting would “transfer expeditiously and look to conclude our impeachment investigation as shortly as attainable.”
New York’s state legislature will not be presently in session, however lawmakers can name a particular session at any time ought to they proceed with submitting articles of impeachment and impeachment proceedings.
The Judiciary Committee is presently scheduled to fulfill Monday to debate the continuing impeachment investigation.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the district legal professional’s workplace in Suffolk County confirmed to CNN that it had requested extra info from the report, whereas Joseph Spino, a spokesperson for the Erie County District Legal professional’s Workplace, stated its workplace had additionally requested for extra supplies from the report.
Sexual harassment coaching
Throughout his years as governor, Cuomo, a three-term Democrat, has repeatedly spoken out in opposition to sexual harassment and misconduct.
In 2019, Cuomo signed into legislation what his workplace referred to as “the nation’s most complete sexual harassment bundle,” which required employers to undertake a sexual harassment prevention insurance policies and trainings. “There was an ongoing, persistent tradition of sexual harassment, assault and discrimination within the office, and now it’s time to act,” Cuomo stated in a press release on the time.
When new office harassment protections when into impact in October 2019, Cuomo stated it was time for employers within the state to step up and ensure their staff had been protected.
At a March 3 information convention, Cuomo stated he had taken sexual harassment coaching — which is required for the state governor per a handbook for state companies, the report stated.
There was just one document of a accomplished coaching for Cuomo in 2019, the report says, however Stephanie Benton, the Director of the Governor’s Places of work on the time, testified that she had signed it on his behalf. Cuomo himself testified that he did not bear in mind taking sexual harassment coaching in any 12 months apart from 2019, in line with the report.
Governor accused of retaliation
An outdoor legal professional for Cuomo’s govt chamber stated in a press release Thursday that the AG’s report alleging the governor’s workplace retaliated in opposition to his accuser Lindsey Boylan, a former aide, was “legally and factually flawed.” Attorneys for Cuomo despatched a letter with what they referred to as authorized “evaluation” to the AG’s investigators on July 18 forward of the report’s launch, in line with legal professional Paul Fishman’s assertion.
The 13-page doc despatched to investigators says Cuomo’s attorneys had been “shocked” on the assertion of retaliation and boils down Boylan’s allegations to political motivations linked to the timing of her run for Manhattan Borough president. The doc additionally makes an attempt to justify the controversial letter drafted by Cuomo’s workers to discredit Boylan, arguing that it couldn’t be thought of retaliation as a result of it was finally by no means revealed.
Boylan, considered one of Cuomo’s first accusers, alleged that he had tried to kiss her throughout a gathering in his New York Metropolis workplace in 2018. Boylan first tweeted that Cuomo had sexually harassed her in December 2020, however didn’t present extra element. She then got here ahead with the small print in a Medium put up in February 2021.
CNN has reached out Boylan and her legal professional for remark.
This story has been up to date with extra info.
CNN’s Mark Morales, Polo Sandoval, Paul LeBlanc, Sonia Moghe and Devan Cole contributed to this report.
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