Lawmakers in the New York Assembly have suspended their impeachment investigation of Governor Andrew Cuomo in light of his promise to step down from office over sexual harassment complaints, Speaker Carl Heastie said in a statement on Friday.
The Assembly, controlled by Cuomo's fellow Democrats, opened the impeachment investigation in March after at least two women who formerly worked for the governor went public with complaints that Cuomo had sexually harassed them.
Cuomo said on Tuesday he would resign and leave office in two weeks. He has denied harassing anyone, though he has acknowledged making some women uncomfortable by engaging in what he characterised as well-intentioned efforts to show affection. He also said lawmakers have been advised by legal counsel that the state's constitution does not allow the legislature to impeach an elected official who is no longer in office.
Prior to his resignation, Cuomo appeared almost certain to be impeached and ousted from office, as Democratic legislators abandoned him following the report from Attorney General Letitia James' office.Investigators were also examining whether the Cuomo administration deliberately under-reported nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic as well as whether Cuomo improperly used state resources in penning a published memoir.