The [Aug. 13] decision to drop the impeachment investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo is a massive disservice to the goals of transparency and accountability.

Gov. Cuomo offered his resignation on Aug. 10, amid multiple scandals and with several ongoing investigations looking into misconduct in his office. The announcement came exactly one week after Attorney General Letitia James released the findings of her investigation into sexual-harassment claims against the governor, and one day after the Assembly Judiciary Committee set an expedited timetable to conclude its impeachment investigation.

For months, the governor insisted that he had done nothing wrong and had no intention of leaving office voluntarily. But with pressure mounting and support crumbling, he recalibrated and finally realized the obvious — there was no path forward. The governor did the right thing by stepping aside.

[Following that], the Assembly Judiciary Committee tasked with the impeachment investigation [should have done] the right thing by completing its work.

The Assembly impeachment investigation had been ongoing for five months, collecting evidence across several fronts. In addition to the now-confirmed sexual-harassment claims, Gov. Cuomo is facing questions regarding his administration’s failed nursing-home policy and subsequent cover-up, the improper use of state resources related to his $5.1 million book deal, preferential treatment for friends and family to get COVID tests, and questions surrounding the structural integrity of the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

 A job resignation does not equate to accountability. The hours of work, the mountain of evidence, and the information discovered by the impeachment inquiry should not simply be swept under the rug.

Moving forward with the impeachment would have brought a necessary conclusion to an important endeavor and ensured Andrew Cuomo would never be permitted to hold statewide office. Instead, mountains of evidence and months of work will now be hidden from the public by this disappointing, tone-deaf decision.

The New York Legislature had a chance to deliver accountability and justice to the victims of Andrew Cuomo’s failed administration. This announcement is a slap in the face to the people this body was elected to represent.        

William (Will) A. Barclay, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact Barclay at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us. 

Editor’s note: This article combines an opinion column Barclay submitted on Aug. 13 — before Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced the same day that the Assembly will suspend its impeachment investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo after his resignation takes effect on Aug. 25 — with a statement he issued following Heastie’s announcement. Heastie then subsequently announced that the Assembly planned to still release its final report on the Cuomo investigation.

State’s new leader has strong regional knowledge

After an unprecedented year of challenges, our state and region are poised for a needed and significant resurgence. Distractions mean lost time, and lost time means lost opportunity. The important work of this state must continue now, without disruption, under new leadership so that we can focus on a stronger future. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is the right person to lead our state in this moment and brings a deep and personal understanding of upstate New York’s unique challenges and opportunities.

As a graduate of Syracuse University, she has lived in this community and shares a connection to those who call Central New York home. As the lieutenant governor, she has spent a significant amount of time here talking with business and community leaders, seeking to learn firsthand about how state government can support their efforts. Through the regional economic-development council process, she has crisscrossed our region, visiting projects and engaging with the people leading programs to see the impact of the state’s investment, and learning what more could be done to further accelerate progress.

Hochul was among the first state leaders to tour downtown Syracuse last summer to talk with small-business owners and learn about their challenges as the local economy reopened. She spent time with these individuals, showing not only that she cared, but also that she understood the issues they faced. Her boots-on-the-ground approach to governing enabled Hochul to recognize there was a more strategic and bigger role the state needed to play in driving resources and solutions.

It’s an approach we saw earlier this spring, when she spent time at The Tech Garden meeting teams of entrepreneurs and engaging with them to learn about the exciting innovation and small business activities that are driving new opportunities in the region. Hochul talked about the state’s investments in programs like GENIUS NY, which are attracting and growing new industries and technologies, right here in Syracuse. She walked away with a better understanding of the importance of targeting investments and continuing to support innovation to create jobs and a stronger economy.

For the first time in a century, our region will have a governor that is an upstate resident. As lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul has spent time in our region’s small and midsized communities meeting people where they are and discovering what they need to thrive and prosper. I believe her experience, knowledge, and vision will unite us at this critical time. I wish her the best and look forward to continuing our partnership with her as she assumes this new role.        

Robert M. Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This article is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Aug. 12.