How Does Impeachment Work in NY?

As more people come forward with allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior by Governor Andrew Cuomo and he grapples with the revelation his administration deliberately hid the true death toll of nursing homes residents, calls for him to resign or be impeached have grown.

The youth arm of New York State Democratic Party has called on the governor to resign, as have State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, Representative Kathleen Rice, Representative Elise Stefanik, Representative Nicole Malliotakis,  Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas, and Assemblyman Ron Kim, who was a target of the governor’s vitriol for calling for further investigation into the nursing home scandal.

When asked about the allegation at his press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “If these allegations are true, he cannot govern. He would not be able to govern, it’s as simple as that. You have to have a trust from the people, and if you can’t maintain that trust, you can’t govern.”

At least six left-wing state lawmakers from the NY State Senate and Assembly have called on Cuomo to resign and, failing that, for him to be impeached, Business Insider reported.

“It is time for the legislature to demand accountability. Impeachment proceedings are the appropriate avenue for us to pursue as legislators to hold the Governor accountable for his many abuses of power and remove him from office,” wrote State Senator Julia Salazar, State Senator Jabari Brisport, Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, and Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes.

The only New York governor to have been impeached was Charles Sulzer, in 1913, for using campaign donations to buy stocks.

In New York, the process for impeachment is as follows, according to NBC New York: The majority of the 150-member assembly would have to vote to impeach the governor.

Then, there would be a formal trial with the president of the senate, the state senators and the judges of the Court of Appeals. However, because it is the governor on trial, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the president of the senate, who is Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, would abstain.

A two-thirds majority of the court would be required to convict Cuomo, who would then be removed from office and possibly be barred from holding public office in New York again.

If Cuomo was convicted, Lieutenant Governor Hochul would be sworn in as governor.

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smarcus@hamodia.com