ALBANY, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — The New York Assembly's judiciary committee met Monday to discuss possible impeachment proceedings and provided some insight into how the process will play out as Gov. Andrew Cuomo faces deepening political fallout from the attorney general's sexual harassment probe.
"Now with the attorney general's task completed, the Assembly is working to expeditiously to conclude our investigation, which covers a broad range of issues so that we can bring this sad chapter of our state's history to a conclusion," Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Monday.
Lawmakers met in executive session, behind closed doors, Monday to discuss how to wrap up the ongoing probe of Cuomo's conduct with women, and other matters, including the use of staff to help with his $5 million book deal and his administration's decision to withhold full statistics on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes from the public.
"Our investigation remains confidential, as it should be, and at the appropriate time and as early as later this month we will discuss the evidence publicly in an open and transparent manner,'' said committee Chair Charles Lavine, a Long Island Democrat.
As scores of Democrats, including President Joe Biden, urge Cuomo to leave office, Lavine said the governor must be held accountable for his actions.
"In a court of American law, no one is above the law. Those words are as true today as they were a long time ago when I first heard them," Lavine said.
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He promised that the committee was committed to protecting any witnesses from retaliation and giving Cuomo a chance to defend himself.
"The governor has said he wants to be treated fairly like anyone else in this country and he will be," Lavine said.
According to Heastie, the committee has requested unredacted and unfiltered evidence used by the attorney general's investigators to reach their conclusions.
"The process to begin receiving that information did not begin until Saturday evening. We have not yet received all of it, we have received a lot, but not all of it," Heastie said.
The committee is closely reviewing the findings of the attorney general's report as well as related evidence that includes three volumes of appendices.
The Assembly's outside counsel, Davis Polk, is also conducting its own independent investigation, which includes reviewing witness testimony and "more than half a million pages of documentation" on the nursing home matter alone.
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Cuomo and his legal team have also been given until Friday to submit any additional evidence for review and Assemblyman David Weprin told NY1 that the committee is not expected to take any official action at least until after that 5 p.m. deadline.
"We'd like to see what he's going to submit and consider that. But clearly the allegations are very troublesome, very serious," Weprin said.
"The governor and his lawyers have responded to the attorney general's report repeatedly and we will review those statements and submissions and allow the governor to provide further information should he choose to do so," Lavine explained. "The governor will have the opportunity to address issues of sexual harassment, as well as issues relating to use of public resources to write his book, allegations relating to the nursing home deaths and the various statements and reports relating to that issue, allegations relating to preferential access to COVID-19 testing and any other issues the governor wishes to address."
Lavine said additional executive sessions have been scheduled for Aug. 16 and Aug. 23 during which time members of the committee will be granted access in a secure location to fully review the evidence in the attorney general's probe and the findings by Davis Polk.
"This evidence will include all the underlying transcripts, recordings of witnesses' depositions, the recording of Gov. Cuomo's deposition, documents and other materials," Lavine said. "Given the sensitivity of this information, and in order to preserve confidentiality of the committee's investigation, as well as to protect the interest and the safety of the alleged victims, particularly those who were not identified by name in the attorney general's report, these materials will be available only in a secure environment somewhere close to if not in the Capitol," Lavine said.
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Public hearings will be held after Aug. 23 and will feature testimony from independent experts on key subject matters related to the impeachment inquiry.
Once the committee completes its review of the evidence, it will make a recommendation to the full Assembly on whether to proceed with impeachment against Cuomo.
"We anticipate that this process will be concluded very soon, and when I say very soon, I'm speaking about several weeks," Lavine said. "The committee has and will continue to conduct an investigation that is comprehensive, fair and reflects the seriousness of our constitutional obligation."
About two-thirds of state Assembly members have said they favor an impeachment trial if he refuses to resign, according to an Associated Press count.
Only a simple majority vote is needed to begin an impeachment trial, which would be held in the state Senate.
The embattled governor has so far refused widespread calls to resign and denied all allegations.
Meanwhile, his top aide handed in her resignation and another of his accusers broke her silence in a televised interview.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.