Sunday, June 06, 2021

6 June 2021: NY Legislators Tire of Having Impeachment Probe Called a Sham

Bill to fund Cuomo impeachment to pass early this week

New York legislators must be getting tired of having their impeachment probe treated as if it is a complete and total sham. At least enough to make it a much more expensive joke at the public's expense, as this report indicates they now appear willing to devote more taxpayer dollars to it:

The new bill, sponsored in the Senate by Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and in the Assembly by Speaker Carl Heastie, provides a blank check for the investigation and any other expenses tied to an impeachment process, including any eventual trial. A legislative source confirmed that the bill is expected to pass early this week.

"This will allow expenses related to investigations conducted by the Legislature to be covered under this existing appropriation. Expenses incurred by the governor and attorney general are already accommodated in the enacted budget," said Mike Whyland, spokesman for Heastie.

There are two warning signs indicating the move may not be as meaningful as is being presented: the names of the spending bill's sponsors in the Senate and Assembly, NY Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and NY Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. We view their current effort as having more to do with damage control, given how their leadership related to the Assembly's impeachment probe has come into question. Be sure to follow the links for each to see content from the timeline that provides background information for why their respective leadership roles have come into question.

It also follows Governor Cuomo tapping New York taxpayers for at least $2.5 million to pay for his defense from criminal and civil misconduct allegations, while they had only approved $250,000 to investigate an ever-expanding list of allegations of misconduct on the part of Governor Cuomo in the Assembly's impeachment probe.

More on that last story below from the timeline:

-