The New York State Assembly announced on Monday that it would hold multiple public and private hearings throughout August as part of the governing body’s impeachment investigation into embattled Democratic New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
After updating committee members on the progression of the investigation, it was detailed during the meeting that upcoming public hearings will include testimony from expert witnesses on sexual harassment, as well as impeachment proceedings for the state.
Assemblyman Charles Lavine, who serves as the chair of the judiciary committee, remarked during the Monday hearing that state lawmakers were still probing findings laid out in a damning report that detailed at least 11 cases where Cuomo, throughout his governorship, is alleged to have sexually harassed current and former staffers.
“After the committee has completed its review of the evidence, it will make a recommendation to the full Assembly on whether to proceed with impeachment against Governor Cuomo,” Lavine said during the Monday proceedings.
“We anticipate that this process will be concluded very soon,” he added, noting that a decision on bringing impeachment articles against Cuomo could be raised sometime in the next “several weeks.”
Aside from sexual harassment allegations, the impeachment investigation will also examine whether Cuomo used state resources to write a book during his governorship, and whether he gave family and friends preferential access to COVID-19 tests.
Additionally, the probe will determine whether the Cuomo administration deliberately obscured the full scope of nursing home deaths during the 2020 height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was further noted that Cuomo would have until Friday to provide evidence for his defense.
The Empire State has not impeached a governor and forced them out of office since 1913, when William Sulzer was booted for stealing campaign funds.
Cuomo has adamantly denied that he committed any wrongdoing, explaining away the accusations moments after the explosive report was published by stating that the discomfort engendered by his embraces stemmed from "cultural" and "generational" differences. He further underscored his defense in an 85-page rebuttal that included multiple images of him in close embraces with other prominent figures.