NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine announced Wednesday the law firm that will lead the impeachment investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
In a morning press release, Heastie and Lavine said the Assembly had retained the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP to assist in the investigation.
“Since Thursday, Chairman Lavine led a vigorous search for a top-flight firm to assist with the investigation. I have the utmost faith that Assemblymember Lavine and our Judiciary Committee will conduct a full and fair investigation,” Heastie said in a statement. “Hiring Davis Polk will give the Committee the experience, independence and resources needed to handle this important investigation in a thorough and expeditious manner.”
“The addition of Davis Polk will allow my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee and me to fully and fairly investigate the allegations,” Lavine said. “These are serious allegations, and they will be treated with fairness, due process and discretion.
The law firm’s team, including Angela Burgess, Greg Andres and Martine Beamon, will work with the Assembly Judiciary Committee as part of the investigation.
Greg Andres was part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team and led the prosecution of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was ultimately found guilty and imprisoned.
The lawyer for one of Cuomo's accusers is objecting to the law firm selection, citing "an unacceptable conflict of interest."
Debra Katz, who represents Charlotte Bennett, is critical of the hiring of Polk. She said she is alarmed because of a connection between the governor and Dennis Glazer, who spent more than 30 years as a partner at the firm.
Katz said Glazer is married to the judge who could preside over an impeachment trial.
Glazer has also been appointed by Cuomo to the SUNY Purchase board and was named to the casino sitting board.
She praised the attorney general's selection of Joon Kim and Anne Clark for her independent investigation calling them impressive hired with a wealth of experience and independence.
Heastie authorized an impeachment investigation into Cuomo last week.
In a March 11 video conference meeting, Heastie explained to colleagues why he chose to launch an impeachment investigation instead of beginning a formal impeachment, Yahoo News reported.
In the meeting, Heastie reportedly advocated for “due process” and said “people get accused of things.”
“These days any one of us in this place could be accused,” he reportedly told colleagues.
According to the report, Heastie was questioned repeatedly about how long the Assembly investigation could last.
“I have no idea what the time frame is,” Heastie reportedly said. “People have to be interviewed under oath. An outside firm is going to have to be hired that deals with this type of stuff.”
In addition to much of New York’s congressional delegation, more than 130 state lawmakers have said Cuomo should resign, including Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Last week, state Attorney General Letitia James named a former federal prosecutor, Joon Kim, and employment discrimination attorney Anne Clark to lead an investigation into Cuomo that she is overseeing. Cuomo, a Democrat, has said he'll “fully cooperate.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.