Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul distanced herself from outgoing Governor Andrew Cuomo in her first news conference Wednesday since Cuomo announced his resignation. Cuomo announced his resignation Tuesday with impeachment looming following the release of a report that found he sexually harassed 11 women.
Hochul, who will be the state’s first female governor, said she had not been previously aware of the allegations against Cuomo in State Attorney General Letitia James‘ investigation. She also vowed to remove people from the administration who have been named as doing anything unethical in the report.
Hochul promised she would “fight like hell” for all New Yorkers and noted that the fight against COVID-19 is far from finished.
She said she and Cuomo did not have a close relationship and when asked if she would consider pardoning him if he was convicted on any potential criminal charges, she replied it was “far too premature to even have those conversations.”
Hochul also said it’s “not the purview of the New York state governor to dictate to the New York state Assembly or to the Judiciary Committee on what actions they should take next with respect to anything, particularly impeachment.”
Meanwhile, State Senator George Borrello is calling on the New York Assembly to continue its impeachment inquiry of Governor Andrew Cuomo.
He said Cuomo needs to be held accountable for the allegations of sexual harassment, his administration’s cover-up of COVID deaths in nursing homes and his improper use of state resources to produce a book about his handling of the COVID crisis.
Borrello said the impeachment trial should also include a stipulation that Cuomo is no longer able to hold elected office in New York State.
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