BUFFALO, N.Y. — With calls from Democrats in the state legislature to move swiftly with the impeachment prove of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the man leading the investigation is willing to wait a week or more.
State Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) on Thursday announced the governor’s defense team has been notified it has until 5 p.m. on Friday, August 13 to submit “any additional evidence or written submissions that you would like the committee to consider before its work concludes.”
Late Thursday afternoon, senior advisor to the governor Richard Azzopardi sent a brief statement, which reads: "The Assembly has said it is doing a full and thorough review of the complaints and has offered the Governor and his team an opportunity to present facts and their perspective. The Governor appreciates the opportunity. We will be cooperating.”
Lavine is chairman of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. There is a scheduled committee meeting Monday in Albany, but given that Cuomo’s attorneys have been given more time, it does not appear a possible vote on impeachment offenses will happen then.
The Judiciary Committee is also reviewing the report of the attorney general’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the governor. But that is not all that the committee is examining in its investigation.
“Ours includes not only the sexual harassment but looking into issues such as the nursing home data scandal, his five-million-dollar book deal and even issues with the Mario M. Cuomo bridge,” Assembly Member Kenny Burgos (D-New York) said.
Should the committee recommend impeachment charges to the entire Assembly, a simple majority vote would lead to a trail in the State Senate.
State law would require President Andrea Stewart-Cousins to set a trial date between 30 and 60 days afterwards. Given what is known right now, it appears the earliest an impeachment trail of Cuomo would begin is in late September.