Andrew Cuomo is the 56th governor of New York since 2011. Among the past 55 New York governors, only one has ever been impeached. That governor was William Sulzer. Sulzer was impeached after he was accused of taking part in fraudulent companies in Cuba while a Congressman. He was removed from office in October 1913 after a three-week trial, being the first person ever to have been impeached for acts committed before taking office.
New York – Republican lawmakers on Monday announced a resolution to commence impeachment proceedings against New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, something that hasn’t been done in New York in over 100 years.
Republican leader of the state Assembly, Will Barclay, told reporters during the impeachment resolution announcement that “There’s been one bombshell after another”.
Cuomo is currently facing backlash as top New York state lawmakers are calling for resignation or impeachment. Cuomo is to resign or be impeached over multiple allegations that have rocked his administration in recent weeks. Five women have accused the governor for sexually harassing them, plus allegations that his administration intentionally undercounted Covid-19 nursing home deaths.
Cuomo has denied the nursing home deaths allegations, and has also denied the sexual harassment accusations while apologizing to those women accusing him for how his behavior might have made some of them feel.
“The real problem now is the governor’s lost so much credibility and trust that we don’t feel like he can go forward and govern,” Barclay told reporters. “So we want to move ahead, do this impeachment in the Assembly.”
The impeachment resolution will likely not begin immediately. Democrats are in control of 106 out of the Assembly’s 150 seats, and only few members are ready to vote for the impeachment.
According Peter Galie, a professor of political science, there’s “very” little precedent to rely on if Cuomo is impeached.
