Wednesday morning chairman @BuienRadarNL and I will announce the appointment of a law firm to assist the Assembly Judiciary Committee in the investigation of Governor Cuomo’s impeachment. As I said, we intend to have a quick and thorough investigation.
– Carl E. Heastie (@CarlHeastie) March 17, 2021
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said in an exclusive interview with ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos on Tuesday that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign if an investigation confirms he has committed sexual harassment.
“I know you said you want the investigation to continue,” Stephanopoulos told Biden, referring to an investigation by the New York Attorney General into allegations that Cuomo had harassed several women. “If the investigation confirms the women’s claims, should he resign?”
“Yes,” the president replied. “I think he will probably be prosecuted too.”
Also, one of Andrew Cuomo’s accusers appeared on a radio show to talk about her allegations against the controversial governor.
Former assistant Karen Hinton spoke out on WNYC radio, saying that Cuomo was “excited” when he hugged her.
“He came up to me and hugged me too tightly, too long, and was excited,” she said. “And it made me feel extremely uncomfortable and even startled.”
RELATED: Schumer, Gillibrand, Joins Dems and Calls for Cuomo’s Step Down
US Senate leader Charles Schumer on Tuesday reiterated his call for the governor to resign, saying that Cuomo has lost the confidence of his government partners.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins also reiterated her position that Governor Cuomo should resign, but said she would continue to work with him in the meantime.
“The governor is known for being who he is and making sure you know exactly what he’s feeling,” she said. “So this Andrew Cuomo is definitely someone I’ve met. But like I said, I’m not bullied.”
Another former aide met with investigators on Monday to discuss her sexual harassment allegations.
Former assistant Charlotte Bennett met with detectives through Zoom for over four hours, with her attorney, Debra Katz, releasing the following statement after the interrogation.
“She set out her allegations of sexual harassment and provided investigators with more than 120 pages of contemporaneous documents, as well as other examples of documented evidence, to support her allegations against Governor Cuomo and his senior staff,” said Katz.
She says investigators acted quickly and sensitively to get to the heart of the allegations.
“We remain confident that their investigation will substantiate Charlotte’s allegations of sexual harassment against Governor Cuomo, as well as the failure of his senior staff to meet their mandatory reporting requirements under the laws he signed,” said Katz. She also provided detailed information about the sexually hostile work environment the Governor nurtured in both his Manhattan and Albany offices and his deliberate attempt to create rivalry and tension among female staffers to whom he paid attention. One piece of new information that came to light today was the governor’s preoccupation with his hand size and what the large size of his hands indicated to Charlotte and other members of his staff. As we have said before, it is imperative that this investigation not only focus on Governor Cuomo’s actions, but also on the culture of fear, abuse and secrecy that he and his top staff cultivated. To this end, we have full confidence in the research and the researchers. We urge others who have been exposed to inappropriate behavior by the governor – and we know you are out there – to come forward with what you’ve been through. And for those who have observed the behavior, we recommend that you do the same. “
Seven women have accused the governor of some form of sexual harassment or inappropriate touching.
At the end of Monday, Jill Basinger, the attorney for Lindsey Boylan, another Cuomo prosecutor, released a statement saying she had spoken to detectives last weekend.
“Ms. Boylan was interviewed last weekend by investigators appointed by the Attorney General’s Office,” it read. “The interview clearly shows that the researchers are proactive and take their work seriously. We are pleased with the scope of the investigation and the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of their questioning.”
RELATED: With Cuomo Government under fire, No. 2 Kathy Hochul is proceeding with caution
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