17 June 2021: NY Dem Senators Enjoy Normalizing Nosh With Cuomo

Assembly Judiciary Committee members dine with Cuomo as they consider impeachment

It's behavior like what's described in this report that gives people the impression the New York legislature's impeachment probe is a total sham:

Four months ago, the state Assembly launched an impeachment inquiry into Gov. Andrews Cuomo’s conduct. He faces numerous allegations of sexual harassment, and stands accused of covering up the true number of deaths in nursing homes from COVID-19 in order to sell his memoir, published last year.

Right now, the Assembly's Judiciary Committee is conducting the investigation along with an outside law firm, and it will make a recommendation to the full Assembly when it’s findings are complete.

But earlier this month, two members of the Judiciary Committee dined with Cuomo at the Executive Mansion in Albany, the governor’s private residence, drawing criticism from Republicans.

“Do you think the U.S. Attorney would have dinner with someone he was prosecuting?" Nick Langworthy, the state Republican chairman, said. "These are two legal professionals that work in the court, and who I believe have prosecutorial experience. They know right from wrong. But they got invited to the mansion. And they got starstruck by the governor.”

The two members of the Judiciary Committee are Monica Wallace and Karen McMahon, both of whom are Democrats representing western New York. Langworthy has called on them to step down from the committee.

For what it's worth, neither Stirpe nor Magnarelli are among the legislators who have called for Governor Cuomo to resign.

The dinner took place on 1 June 2021, while this report confirming the dinner was published on 16 June 2021. We've added a "nearly" duplicate entry to the timeline for 1 June 2021 in case it turns out to be relevant in explaining upcoming events, considering Stirpe's and Magnarelli's roles on the New York State Senate's Judiciary Committee.