FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 8, 2021
CONTACT: Peter Giunta, 347.621.8031
Assemblymember Michael Reilly (R-Staten Island) joined members of the Assembly Republican Conference today to announce they will submit a resolution to impeach Governor Andrew Cuomo in the wake of mounting scandals and investigations into his office. All four of the State Legislature’s conference leaders have called on the Governor to resign, or consider stepping down from office.
“When you lose trust and credibility, you lose the ability to lead. Governor Cuomo can no longer effectively govern New York. Yesterday’s statements from the Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly illustrate just how severely diminished that trust is,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski). “His administration has been found to have willfully manipulated data to avoid a federal investigation. Several women have now come forward with harrowing tales of disturbing behavior from the Governor. It will be impossible for Governor Cuomo to lead our state out of a pandemic – and negotiate one of the most important budgets in our state’s history – with a complete lack of credibility and trust from both the public and Legislature.”
“As Governor Cuomo and his administration become further embroiled in scandal, it has become clear to me that he is no longer able to serve effectively without distraction,” said Reilly. “States throughout the country are reopening and New York must soon follow, beginning a new chapter of the post-pandemic recovery that will undoubtedly require the full attention of not just our legislative leaders, but of the Governor as well. Governor Cuomo’s thinly veiled threats against sitting elected officials, as well as his repeated denial of misconduct in regard to several scandals, will only distract from our state’s recovery.”
Assembly Democrats have rejected multiple calls to create a bipartisan Impeachment Commission. However, with mounting scandals and recent statements from conference leaders and rank-and-file legislators, the Assembly Republican Conference is now planning to immediately introduce a resolution to remove the Governor.
“Clearly, the Governor has no plans to resign. It is incumbent on all 213 members of the Legislature to take steps to remove him from office. Every day he remains in office is a distraction and hinders the state’s path to recovery,” added Barclay.
“If the Governor truly believed the words on his pin, “I work for the people,” then he would do the right thing and step aside,” added Reilly. “We’ve reached the point where it would just be in the best interest of all New Yorkers for Governor Cuomo to resign now.”