Some of the women accusing Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment are not impressed with the New York state Assembly’s impeachment investigation.
Ana Liss, a 35-year-old former policy and operations aide who said Cuomo engaged in unsolicited sexual behavior between 2013 and 2015, told the New York Post she was “ill at ease” with the inquiry authorized by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
“I cannot confidently participate knowing about the controversial ties, lack of transparency, politicization, and non-participation on behalf of my fellow accusers whose claims are more egregious/explicit than mine,” she said in an email to the outlet.
‘BETRAYAL OF THE PUBLIC’S TRUST’: CUOMO ACCUSER CALLS FOR HIS IMPEACHMENT
Lindsey Boylan, the first to accuse Cuomo, 63, of sexual misconduct publicly, shared concerns about the impartiality of Davis Polk & Wardwell, the law firm picked to help with the impeachment inquiry.
“We will not let you advance your sham, corrupt, cynical gambit to prevent @NYGovCuomo from being held accountable to New Yorkers without a fight,” she said in a tweet along with a screenshot confirming Heastie’s hiring of Davis Polk, later adding that the firm “cannot do justice to the great challenge of an impeachment process” because it has “several ties to the governor.”
This firm cannot do justice to the great challenge of an impeachment process. They are a white collar crimes firm. They are a white collar crimes firm that has several ties to the governor. But I guess you already knew that @CarlHeastie.
Call your assembly member. Call again.
— Lindsey Boylan (@LindseyBoylan) March 20, 2021
Debra Katz, attorney for Cuomo accuser Charlotte Bennett, also criticized the choice of outside counsel for having an “unacceptable conflict of interest.”
“We were alarmed to learn that Speaker Heastie has hired Davis Polk to assist with the investigation, given the connection between Dennis Glazer, who spent more than 30 years as a partner at Davis Polk, and the governor,” Katz said in a statement.
Katz noted that Glazer, who spent 31 years as a partner at Davis Polk, has received appointments from Cuomo, including to the board of the State University of New York at Purchase and New York’s casino siting board, and Glazer’s wife, state Court of Appeals Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, would serve in a state Senate trial if the governor were impeached.
Heastie praised the law firm when announcing the Assembly’s selection.
“Hiring Davis Polk will give the Committee the experience, independence and resources needed to handle this important investigation in a thorough and expeditious manner,” he said.
Democrats leading the investigation in the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee promised a wide-ranging review of Cuomo’s conduct. Chairman Charles Lavine said lawmakers expect the investigation to take “months, rather than weeks” to parse material during the investigation’s first meeting on Tuesday, according to multiple outlets.
The accusers’ criticism for Heastie’s choice of outside counsel stands in contrast to the praise some had for a separate investigation underway by Attorney General Letitia James. Katz celebrated James’s appointments of Joon Kim and Anne Clark as “very impressive hires” who have “a wealth of experience and independence.” Boylan, Bennett, and Liss reportedly met with investigators from James’s office in recent days.
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The three accusers were joined by Anna Ruch, Karen Hinton, an unnamed sixth woman, Jessica Bakeman, Valerie Bauman, and Alyssa McGrath in coming forward with allegations against the governor.
Cuomo, who maintains he never engaged in sexual impropriety but apologized for making anyone feel uncomfortable, has vowed not to step down despite mounting pressure from within his own party, telling reporters he is “not going to resign” because he “did not do what has been alleged.”
