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N.Y. Assembly Impeachment Inquiry Leader Gives Update

New York Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine, D-Glen Cove, during a public hearing on sexual harassment in the workplace, in Albany, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2019.
Hans Pennink
/
Associated Press
New York Assemblyman Charles D. Lavine, D-Glen Cove, during a public hearing on sexual harassment in the workplace, in Albany, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2019.

The leader of the New York State Assembly’s impeachment inquiry gave a brief update Wednesday regarding several investigations into Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine said a hotline set up by the committee has generated over 200 tips on probes into sexual harassment allegations made by multiple women; whether Cuomo illegally used staff to help him write and promote a memoir; and if his family and friends got preferential access to coronavirus tests when they were hard to get earlier in the pandemic.

The committee is also investigating whether the governor and his top staff hid nursing home death numbers from the public.

Lavine said the committee, working with the Davis Polk law firm, is following up on many of those tips and talking to other potential witnesses.

“In total, Davis Polk has spoken with attorneys for about 70 people who may have relevant information,” said Lavine, who added the committee is also in contact with four different state agencies.

Lavine repeated that he has served notice to Cuomo that he and his staff are not allowed to retaliate against anyone who might testify against them. He offered no specifics on anything the committee might have found out so far, and the rest of the meeting was conducted in a private executive session.

Karen has covered state government and politics for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 New York and Connecticut stations, since 1990. She is also a regular contributor to the statewide public television program about New York State government, New York Now. She appears on the reporter’s roundtable segment, and interviews newsmakers.