Lawmakers on the state Assembly Judiciary Committee Thursday afternoon began the process of reviewing a report that is the culmination of a months-long investigation of myriad scandals and controversies that have dogged former Gov. Andrew Cuomo for much of the year.
The report is being read by lawmakers on the panel in private over the next two days, and will be released to the general public in the coming days, Assembly Judiciary Chairman Charles Lavine told reporters outside of his office.
"It is going to be available to the public for public consideration in the next few days," Lavine said.
Spectrum News has learned the Assembly's impeachment report is about 45 pages. The major findings include multiple violations of the Public Officers Law by the former governor, Cuomo’s book “American Crisis” used substantial state resources, including staff and an established timeline on the complaint from Brittany Commisso, who alleges Cuomo groped her at the Executive Mansion.
An impeachment inquiry that began this spring, the legislative probe was initially suspended in August following Cuomo's planned resignation in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.
But an outcry from lawmakers in both parties led to the investigation continuing forward in the weeks after Cuomo's resignation. Lavine on Thursday confirmed the investigation itself is now over.
What is contained in the final report is not clear, though Lavine said it was written in a "narrative fashion." Lawmakers who sit on the panel had hoped for a report that is on par with the result of the investigative report released by Attorney General Letitia James' office that detailed allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by 11 women.
The Assembly hired an outside law firm this spring to aid with the investigation, which initially considered a range of Cuomo-related controversies including the sexual harassment claims, allegations his administration arranged preferential testing for COVID when supplies were scarce in 2020, the use of government resources to help Cuomo write a book about the pandemic response, the reporting of nursing home fatalities during the pandemic and whether corners were cut in the construction of the Mario Cuomo Bridge.
Assemblyman Michael Montesano, the top Republican on the committee, told Spectrum News 1 in August the material gathered up until that point pointed to violations of the state's public officers' law.
Cuomo and his legal team have denied any wrongdoing.
Lavine, meanwhile, indicated there will be new material in the report being released by the Assembly.
"Certainly there was evidence that was discovered during the course of our investigation that was not previously known," Lavine said.
Cuomo continues to face investigations at the local, state and federal levels. Federal prosecutors have investigated the nursing home fatality reporting, while James' office continues to probe the use of government resources for the $5.1 million book deal Cuomo received last year.
Cuomo is also due in court in Albany County in January after Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple filed a forcible touching charge against him stemming from an incident that is alleged to have occurred at the Executive Mansion last year. Cuomo has denied that occurred.
Apple in August at a news conference said his office had worked with the same law firm retained by the state Assembly to help with the broader Cuomo investigation.
Zack Fink contributed to this report.