The impeachment investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo is proceeding, but investigators are in no rush.
The Assembly Judiciary Committee provided its third update on where things stand with the investigation, which was launched almost three months ago.
The public portion of the committee hearing lasted only around five minutes, before lawmakers went into a closed-door executive session.
According to Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine, the law firm leading the investigation Davis Polk & Wardwell have now spoken with the attorneys of at least 75 people and received about 290 tips on the impeachment hotline.
“They have also conducted numerous interviews,” Assemblyman Lavine said. “Davis Polk continues to pursue follow up interviews, and additional interviews with new witnesses.”
However, this is not far removed from where things stood over a month ago.
Last month, investigators had spoken with the attorneys of 70 people and received over 200 tips on the impeachment hotline.
This means, that over the past month, only five more people were contacted and 90 more tips were received.
Assemblyman Robert Smullen criticized the lack of action.
“It's not moving at all,” Assemblyman Smullen said. “We have barely two weeks left of session. It's really time for the Judiciary Committee to move. It's time for the Assembly to have the required up or down vote and then from there it can be sent over to the Senate, where the governor can have his day in court.”
This impeachment investigation is looking into almost all of the allegations facing Cuomo right now, including the sexual harassment accusations, whether Cuomo hid the number of COVID-19 related nursing home deaths, and if Cuomo used state resources to help write his pandemic book.
Cuomo has denied all of these allegations, calling many of them political.
Assemblyman Lavine also addressed reports that the law firm, Davis Polk & Wardwell is being paid $250,000 for their services.
The four lawyers are being paid $600 an hour, which means that this only amounts to about three weeks of full-time work.
Critics say this is hardly enough for an investigation like this, which has already been drawn out for almost three months.
However, Lavine insisted this is only the first installment.
“The cap may be amended as needed and it will need to be amended here,” Lavine said. “This is the payment mechanism routinely followed by the legislature in the state of New York.”
There is no timeframe for when the Assembly impeachment investigation needs to wrap up.