NY Assembly retains law firm to lead impeachment probe into Cuomo allegations

The New York Assembly on Wednesday retained a law firm to lead an impeachment investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Chairman of the Assembly Judiciary Committee Charles Lavine announced Wednesday the chamber hired law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP to lead the impeachment probe.

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"Since Thursday, Chairman Lavine led a vigorous search for a top-flight firm to assist with the investigation," Heastie said, adding that he has "the utmost faith" that the assembly "will conduct a full and fair investigation."

"Hiring Davis Polk will give the Committee the experience, independence and resources needed to handle this important investigation in a thorough and expeditious manner," he added.

Lavine, on Wednesday, said the firm's assistance will allow his committee to "fully and fairly investigate the allegations" against Cuomo.

"These are serious allegations, and they will be treated with fairness, due process and discretion," Lavine said.

The Davis Polk team aiding the House Assembly in its probe will include Angela Burgess, Martine Beamon and Greg Andres. Andres served as a prosecutor on former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team during the investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Heastie has said that the impeachment investigation will be "very broad," potentially going beyond sexual harassment allegations and the scandal surrounding nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic.

Seven women have publicly made allegations of inappropriate conduct against Cuomo. He has refused to resign and has denied many of the claims brought forward.

The three-term Democrat explained that his "playful" behavior may have been misinterpreted, or it may have been "insensitive" or "too playful."

New York Attorney General Letitia James is also probing the sexual harassment claims against Cuomo.

Meanwhile, should lawmakers vote to hold an impeachment trial after their investigation, the outcome would be determined, in part, by the state's seven Court of Appeals judges — all of whom were appointed by Cuomo himself.

CUOMO HAS APPOINTED ALL 7 NEW YORK APPEALS COURT JUDGES WHO WOULD VOTE IN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

"The court for the trial of impeachments shall be composed of the president of the senate, the senators, or the major part of them, and the judges of the court of appeals, or the major part of them," the state constitution reads.

Those Court of Appeals judges are Rowan Wilson, Jenny Rivera, Leslie Stein, Eugene Fahey, Michael Garcia, Paul Feinman and Chief Judge Janet DiFiore. All of them were appointed by Cuomo between the years of 2013 and 2017.

The New York constitution does note that prior to an impeachment trial, the judges and senators on the impeachment court must "take an oath or affirmation truly and impartially to try the impeachment according to the evidence."

The seven judges could be instrumental in determining the outcome of a potential impeachment trial as they would make up 10% of the 70-person impeachment court, joining the 63 state senators.

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President Biden weighed in on the Cuomo controversies on Tuesday, saying that the governor should resign if an investigation of the sexual harassment claims finds that the allegations are true.

"I think he'll probably end up being prosecuted, too," Biden said.

Fox News' Ronn Blitzer and Brittany De Lea contributed to this report.