4
CityAndStateNY.com
August 23, 2021
HOCHUL NARROWS SEARCH FOR LG
“As soon as I get out of jail, we have to go back to Albany.” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was criticized for not initially supporting the release of materials gathered as part of his chamber’s impeachment investigation into Cuomo.
IMPEACHMENT PROBE BACK ON
Just as quickly as Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation would bring an end to his chamber’s impeachment probe, he reversed course. Heastie made his original announcement bringing the investigation to a close
before the chamber’s Judiciary Committee was even scheduled to meet in the wake of Cuomo’s resignation. But the decision was met with backlash, with both Democrats and Republicans calling to continue with impeachment even after Cuomo is gone. Just days after his initial
– Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, while being arrested at a tenant protest, via Brooklyn Paper
announcement, Heastie backtracked. Still before the Judiciary Committee was set to meet, the speaker said it would release an impeachment report based on the monthslong investigation conducted by outside attorneys hired by the committee. It remains unclear whether the Assembly will draft
FAST FRIENDS As NYC politicians cozied up to incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul last week, none looked happier than Mayor Bill de Blasio. De Blasio praised the “sane” conversation, marking just how low the bar was for interactions with her predecessor. The pair reportedly discussed COVID-19 responses and school reopenings. And – if the soon-to-be unemployed mayor is looking for his next gig – maybe job leads in Hochul’s administration.
“You won’t see me getting high at the New York State Fair.” – Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, via Jon Campbell of Gannett Albany
As Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul prepares to make the leap to governor, speculation abounds over who she will pick to replace her through 2022 and serve as her second-in-command. Although she has made no commitment yet, Hochul said her pick will come from New York City, balancing out her Western New York roots. Her choice of lieutenant governor could signal that she’s looking to have a better relationship with the city after Cuomo’s acrimonious one. Meetings with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams point in this direction as well, although Williams said he has no interest in the lieutenant governor role despite seeking it in the 2018 Democratic primary. The list of prospective candidates is a long one, with a number of downstate lawmakers jockeying for the role. However, state Sens. Brian Benjamin and Jamaal Bailey seem like frontrunners, with Hochul reportedly vetting them. The appointment will likely be her first major act as New York’s new governor.
LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK; SUBMITTED; ONONDAGA COUNTY EXECUTIVE’S OFFICE; KATHY HOCHUL/TWITTER; RBLFMR/SHUTTERSTOCK
and vote on articles of impeachment. And Heastie has not definitely committed to a time frame for the release of the report, saying in his most recent comments on the matter that the chamber would work “expeditiously” to get it out.
