Push to oust Cuomo gathers force as prosecutors eye him, too

By MARINA VILLENEUVE

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s legislative leaders signaled Wednesday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo could swiftly look an impeachment proceedings if helium doesn’t resign, portion a increasing fig of prosecutors besides eyed investigative findings that helium sexually harassed astatine slightest 11 women.

Cuomo denied that helium made immoderate inappropriate intersexual advances and insisted the findings didn’t bespeak the facts. But portion governmental unit grew, truthful did the imaginable for transgression charges against the third-term Democratic governor.

District attorneys successful Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties and the authorities superior of Albany said they asked for investigative materials from the inquiry, overseen by Democratic authorities Attorney General Letitia James.

James’ probe recovered that Cuomo had violated civilian laws against intersexual harassment. Making nary conclusions astir whether helium should beryllium criminally charged, investigators near the doorway unfastened for section prosecutors to bring cases.

“We are reviewing the profoundly disturbing findings,” said Joyce A. Smith, the acting territory lawyer successful Long Island’s Nassau County. She pledged her bureau would “thoroughly and expeditiously analyse immoderate imaginable crimes” that happened there.

After James released her study Tuesday, Democrats from the statehouse to the White House called for Cuomo to go, with President Joe Biden saying the politician should resign. But helium showed nary signs of heeding them, saying that immoderate episodes described successful the study ne'er happened, others were misconstrued oregon mischaracterized and the full workout was tainted.

“Politics and bias are interwoven passim each facet of this situation,” helium said successful a recorded video response.

Assembly Democrats, who pb the chamber, debated virtually for hours Tuesday astir whether to impeach the politician now, hold to spot whether helium resigns, oregon springiness the Assembly Judiciary Committee clip to wrapper up its wide-ranging probe into topics from intersexual misconduct to the Cuomo administration’s monthslong obfuscation of the full fig of nursing location residents who died from COVID-19.

If the Assembly votes to impeach Cuomo, the authorities Senate could motorboat an impeachment proceedings “in weeks,” Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris told The Associated Press.

Gianaris, a Democrat, said the enclosure has been preparing for a imaginable impeachment proceedings for months.

“We’ll beryllium acceptable to spell if and erstwhile the impeachment articles are sent over,” helium said. “It could hap precise quickly.”

The 150-member Assembly would request 76 votes to impeach Cuomo and nonstop articles of impeachment to the Senate. The Assembly includes 106 Democrats, 43 Republicans and 1 Independent.

At slightest 2 twelve Assembly Democrats called for impeachment successful nationalist statements issued Tuesday, according to a tally compiled by The Associated Press. Some said the Assembly should ballot for impeachment now, portion others said the enclosure should impeach Cuomo if helium doesn’t resign.

Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay urged Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, to convene an exigency peculiar league to ballot to impeach Cuomo.

James’ investigation, conducted by 2 extracurricular lawyers, painted what she called a “clear picture” of a politician who touched oregon made sexually inappropriate comments to a bid of women, galore of whom worked for him. One is simply a authorities trooper whom Cuomo successfully sought to person assigned to his information detail.

While galore of the allegations against Cuomo impact verbal comments, immoderate women person besides alleged that helium gave them unwanted kisses oregon touches. One adjutant said the politician reached nether her garment and groped her bosom astatine the governor’s mansion successful Albany.

The politician denied Tuesday that helium ever inappropriately touched anyone, said that helium ne'er intended harm and formed uncertainty connected the governmental motivations of investigators, accusers and critics.

To date, Cuomo has rebuffed calls to measurement down and has moved up with plans to tally for a 4th word successful 2022.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York.