BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - State officials have mixed feelings about the suspension of Governor Andrew Cuomo's impeachment probe.
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Democratic Assembly Judiciary Committee member Monica Wallace: "I disagree with the decision. I do think that we should be moving forward at least in continuing our investigation and issuing a public report. At that point, I think we can decide whether to go forward. I will say this: I think it's an open legal question as a lawyer whether you can move forward with impeachment after somebody is out of office because the whole point of impeachment is to get somebody out of office. If they're already out of office, what is the point of it?
Republican Assembly Judiciary Committee member Mike Norris:
"As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I am outraged. The public deserves the right to know the information that we have been presented over the last five months."
State Senator Minority Leader Rob Ortt: "The Albany swamp on full display #ImpeachCuomo"
Republican Assemblyman Angelo Morinello: "It's a disservice to the people of New York. This investigation not only covered the sexual harassment. It also covered the nursing home, which we have not gotten the true story on. It also covered the book and whether or not, internally, there were individuals who were working on taxpayer time to assist the governor in this $5.1 million windfall. Allegedly, from what I understand, it was covering the cover-up of the boats on the Tappan Zee bridge, and a number of other issues. It makes me real suspicious as to why this occurred and why the resignation deal, unless there was some kind of backdoor deal, which would absolutely be a travesty and such a disrespect to the citizens of New York State, who deserve answers and deserve to know what their millions of dollars we spent on in that investigation. Who else was complicit?"
Democratic Assemblyman Patrick Burke: "I think it's time we move forward and turn over any relevant information to local prosecutors. If there's anything in regards to the governor violating the law and I think it's time for us to get our work done again. We have a Delta variant in the pandemic that is starting to rage again. The numbers coming out are very concerning. If there is a legal issue at hand, that should be up to prosecutors to handle. We should turn over all the information we have. In the end, the impeachment process was to remove Governor Cuomo from office. That's happening, regardless, so I think it's time for us to get back to business."
Demoratic State Senator Sean Ryan: “While I understand the legal argument about the inability to impeach a Governor who has resigned, I do hope that the Assembly, at the very least, releases to the public all the evidence uncovered during their impeachment inquiry. They paid an outside firm, just like the Attorney General did, to conduct an investigation and prepare a report. I think the taxpayers deserve to see what the Assembly has found.”
Republican State Senator Patrick Gallivan: "I do think the assembly and the judiciary committee owes the public a report. I hope and i call on them to put out a public report even though the impeachment process will not continue."