New York Republican state lawmakers announced on Monday that they would introduce an impeachment resolution against Governor Andrew Cuomo.
State Assembly minority leader Will Barclay and other Republicans told reporters that they would introduce the resolution, while acknowledging that the caucus would not be able to force a vote on the issue. Democrats currently hold 101 out of 150 seats in the Assembly, while in the State Senate Democrats hold a supermajority of 43 out of 63 seats.
“In order to lead this great state as governor, you need to have credibility and trust…and unfortunately, we feel the governor has lost that and now has an inability to lead,” Barclay said outside the State Capitol in Albany.
Governor Cuomo currently faces multiple legal investigations over his administration’s misrepresentation of the number of coronavirus deaths in state nursing homes. Additionally, a number of former aides have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment.
“I don’t think I’ve used the term ‘bombshell’ [at] any time more in my life,” Barclay said. “It has been one bombshell after another.”
Cuomo refused on Sunday to resign, saying calls for him to step down were “anti-Democratic.”
“I was elected by the people of the state. I wasn’t elected by politicians. I’m not going to resign because of allegations,” Cuomo said.
However, State Senate Majority Leader Andrew Stewart-Cousins called for Cuomo’s resignation immediately after the governor declined to do so.
“We need to govern without daily distraction. For the good of the state Governor Cuomo must resign,” Stewart-Cousins said in a statement. “We have more allegations about sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, the loss of credibility surrounding the Covid nursing home data and questions surrounding the construction of a major infrastructure project.”
Stewart-Cousins was referring to an investigation by the Times Union that raised questions regarding the structural integrity of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The bridge is named after Andrew Cuomo’s father, who served as governor from 1983 to 1994.