| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio | Presented by Opportunities for NY | We're going to be here a while. The Assembly's impeachment investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo will take "months," Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine said Tuesday as proceedings got underway. Critics of the probe, who prefer to move straight to articles of impeachment, have hit the process as a way to buy time for Cuomo, but Lavine said it's the cornucopia of allegations that requires the long timeline. "At this early stage, it's not possible to say precisely how long this investigation will take," the Nassau County Democrat said. "Given the breadth and seriousness of the issues under investigation, we expect the timing will be in terms of months, rather than weeks." Lavine said he has sent Cuomo a formal warning to avoid intimidation of any potential witnesses. The Assembly's investigation will look at at least three distinct categories of alleged bad deeds by the embattled governor: the accusations of sexual harassment brought by numerous women, the administration's effort to conceal data on Covid-19 nursing home deaths, and structural problems on the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. It could mushroom from there: attorneys conducting the probe said everything is on the table. One of Cuomo's accusers, Ana Liss, told the New York Post she will not cooperate with the probe, citing concerns about transparency and the political ties of attorneys from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP running the inquiry. She joins Lindsey Boylan, who has said she won't cooperate with an impeachment investigation she considers a "sham." Former aide Charlotte Bennett does plan to cooperate, her attorney said Tuesday , but she echoed concerns about the independence of the inquiry. As new allegations continue to emerge, the Assembly is also launching a phone hotline for anyone with tips. IT'S WEDNESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold WHERE'S ANDREW? No public schedule available by press time. WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability. | | | | A message from Opportunities for NY: New York needs to fund its budget gap by the end of March. We can choose a bold solution: expand downstate gaming through an open and transparent process for ALL THREE downstate casino licenses. THREE licenses will spark 200,000 new jobs and an immediate revenue infusion of $1.5 billion. Visit opportunitiesforny.comto learn more. | | |
|  | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "TWO prominent state Democratic lawmakers who are pursuing potential impeachment of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday they're infected with the coronavirus . Powerful Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens) — one of Cuomo's chief critics in the Legislature over pandemic-related nursing home deaths — both stressed they're experiencing only mild symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19." New York Post's Carl Campanile "GOV. ANDREW M. CUOMO's appointees to the state ethics commission blocked a subpoena seeking information about the unpaid volunteers playing an outsized role in the COVID-19 response. If issued, the proposed subpoena from the Joint Commission on Public Ethics would have sought information about which volunteers aiding Cuomo have been exempted from normal ethics rules under executive orders issued by the governor. The subpoena, which was proposed by JCOPE Commissioner Gary Lavine at a meeting Tuesday, also would have sought information about whether those volunteers ever recused themselves from governmental matters that posed potential conflicts of interest with their day jobs. Lavine, a Senate Republican appointee to JCOPE, and six other legislatively appointed commissioners voted to issue the subpoena to Cuomo's office. But Cuomo's six appointees to JCOPE unanimously voted against the measure, and it failed by one vote." Times Union's Chris Bragg "EXECUTIVES at major Wall Street firms and other New York employers warned that increasing taxes as part of the state budget could lead high-income earners who left the state during the Covid-19 pandemic to never return. In a letter delivered Monday to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Democratic leaders of the state Legislature, 250 business executives said a package of tax increases proposed by the Assembly and Senate would 'jeopardize New York's recovery from the economic crisis inflicted by Covid-19' and were unnecessary because of the $1.9 trillion federal relief bill passed earlier this month. Democratic leaders of the state Assembly and Senate have proposed increasing income taxes and levying a new surcharge on capital gains. The budget is due later this month. The letter was signed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon, Citigroup Inc. CEO Jane Fraser, Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman, BlackRock Inc. Chairman Larry Fink and other executives at major law firms and real-estate companies, as well as chambers of commerce around the state. Robert Thomson, the CEO of News Corp, also signed the letter. News Corp is the parent company of The Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co." Wall Street Journal's Jimmy Vielkind Gothamist: 'Your Taxes Pay For NY State Health Data. Why Does Cuomo Make It So Hard To Access?' THIS CITY'S POLITICAL observers have been aflutter since Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins called for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation earlier this month and Speaker Carl Heastie authorized the start of an impeachment process shortly thereafter as the governor's sexual harassment scandal broadened. Many wondered how this awkward dynamic would play out during one of Albany's most notable political traditions, that of "three people in a room" — the governor and the two legislative leaders — negotiating the state's new budget. It turns out that the storied tradition is more than a little outdated — especially its original notion of "three men in a room." Stewart-Cousins changed that dynamic when she became Senate majority leader in 2019. And Covid-19 has transformed the process from in-person to virtual. Indeed, the whole idea that three people would gather in a room together to debate discrepancies in the hundreds of pages of budget documents seems to be based more in lore rather than in fact. "I've never prescribed to that — that's a term you guys came up with," Heastie told reporters in the Capitol last week when asked how the "three people in a room" discussions were going. "I'm a person who gets sent into the room after I've heard from 106 other people. So, I'm more of a messenger." In recent days, as larger issues begin to loom, officials have pointed to the legions of staff members who are moving the budget process along — as usual — regardless of any political animosity at the top. "We have spoken once," Stewart-Cousins said Tuesday about her interactions with Cuomo in recent weeks. "It was a normal budget discussion, and our staffs are talking around the clock. It was nothing remarkable." POLITICO's Anna Gronewold #UpstateAmerica: Rochester's Maia Chaka thought she was being punk'd. She was, however, actually picked as the first Black woman to join the NFL's officiating staff. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION : Power dynamics are shifting in Washington and across the country, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy, and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops, and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
| | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | ANDREW YANG remains the frontrunner in the crowded Democratic field for mayor , dominating a race he entered in January and with near-universal name recognition. His steady lead, demonstrated in two new polls, comes as opponents mount attacks on him and consider when to run negative advertisements about his candidacy. The former presidential candidate is leading the field with 16 percent support, followed by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams at 10 percent and Maya Wiley at 6 percent, according to a survey commissioned by city-based lobbyist George Fontas. Core Decision Analytics, whom Fontas has partnered with to survey the primary field this cycle, found half of the 800 likely voters have not yet decided whom to support in the race to replace outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio. POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg "AFTER A YEAR where the pandemic and protests over police brutality underscored New York City's broad racial inequities, Mayor Bill de Blasio has unveiled a sweeping initiative to examine and remake the City Charter to correct imbalances. The mayor announced on Tuesday the formation of a Racial Justice Commission that will be empowered to make policy recommendations that he said would be designed to 'dismantle structural racism for all New Yorkers.; The 11-member commission could propose bold policies like a jobs guarantee for all residents, or reparation payments to Black residents. The commission is expected to make its recommendations this year, the last of Mr. de Blasio's eight years in office; some of the proposals could go before New Yorkers next year as ballot measures." The New York Times' Emma G. Fitzsimmons "TWO EMPTY CITY COUNCIL seats in the Bronx will have to stay empty a while longer. Tuesday's special elections in Council Districts 11 and 15 yielded no clear outcome , with no candidate winning a majority of the vote in either race. That means the winners will be determined by ranked-choice voting, a new system that took effect in city elections for the first earlier this year. But the ranked-choice tabulation can't take place until April 7 at the earliest, after all absentee and military ballots are returned. The process will be conducted by hand, because tabulation software has not yet been approved by the state board of elections. In-person turnout in District 15 was extremely low, with only 3,431 votes reported as of Tuesday night. District 11 turnout was higher, with 6,994 votes." NY1's Bobby Cuza "MORE THAN 150 women are running for a seat on the City Council, vying to change a longstanding gender imbalance: The 51-member body currently counts just 13 female members. While it'll be months until winners of the upcoming June primaries are determined, female candidates are currently ahead in the fundraising race, treasurer reports filed with the city Campaign Finance Board for a March 15 deadline show. And women of color are among the top fundraisers. Female candidates have collected on average 17% more money than their male counterparts: $98,045 compared to $84,035 among candidates who have reported any contributions, THE CITY's analysis of the latest available campaign finance data shows." The City's Christine Chung and Ann Choi "THE CITY COUNCIL is poised on Thursday to pass a key reform of how the NYPD investigates crashes — with language that may have been softened just enough to earn the support of Mayor de Blasio, Streetsblog has learned. The bill, Intro 2224, would make the Department of Transportation, and not the NYPD, the lead agency in investigating crashes, a change long sought by advocates for street safety. The bill was calendared for a vote — and expected passage — later this week after Council negotiators added explicit language into the proposal that clarified that the NYPD would retain its responsibility for any criminal investigation that follows a crash." Streetsblog's Gersh Kuntzman FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Three mayoral candidates will fast for 24 hours in support of workers who are on a hunger strike demanding a pandemic relief fund from the state. City Comptroller Scott Stringer, who will join the hunger strikers at a press conference this morning in Manhattan, will stop eating for a day, and Dianne Morales and Eric Adams will also fast. Mayoral hopeful Maya Wiley is also attending the press conference. The hunger strikers are pushing for $3.5 billion in the state budget to give cash assistance to an estimated 275,000 New Yorkers who can't get unemployment benefits or federal stimulus checks, primarily because they are undocumented immigrants. DEBATES! POLITICO will be co-hosting three NYC debates in June with NBC 4 New York/WNBC and Telemundo 47/WNJU in the races for mayor and comptroller. Moderators include City Hall Bureau Chief Sally Goldenberg, WNBC political reporter Melissa Russo, WNBC news anchor David Ushery and WNJU morning news anchor Allan Villafana. | | | |   | | |
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | "SENATOR CHUCK Schumer will ask President Biden to name Damian Williams as the next U.S. attorney in Manhattan, virtually ensuring that one of the most powerful and important federal prosecutor's offices in the country will be led for the first time by a Black man, the senator's office said on Tuesday. Mr. Schumer's request makes Mr. Williams the clear front-runner to become the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. When selecting judges and U.S. attorneys, presidents traditionally defer to their party's senior lawmaker in each state, and the pick by Mr. Schumer, a Democrat, carries extra weight because he is also the Senate majority leader. No Black prosecutor has ever led the famously independent and aggressive office, where Mr. Williams has been a prosecutor for nearly a decade. " The New York Times' Benjamin Weiser | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | "A FORMER NYPD officer was arrested for taking part in the Capitol riots — and shaking a tambourine in the halls of government as other Trump supporters ran amok, the feds said Tuesday. Sara Carpenter, 51, a Richmond Hill, Queens, resident, retired from the force in 2004. She worked as a spokeswoman for the NYPD in the 1990s, dealing with media [inquiries]. She is not accused of committing any violent acts at the riots but was charged with knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds as well as with disrupting the orderly conduct of government business." New York Daily News' Noah Goldberg | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | |
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said lawmakers are "really, really, really close" to a deal on legalizing marijuana. — Municipal workers union DC 37 is endorsing City Council Speaker Corey Johnson for comptroller. — Genting is nearing a deal for a gaming facility in a struggling Newburgh mall. — Paul Feinman, a judge of the state's Court of Appeals, is resigning immediately to tend to health problems. — The Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History will reopen today at limited capacity. — Train speeds have recently increased at nearly 300 locations throughout the subway system due to work during the Covid-19 pandemic to fix and replace faulty signals. — Three dolphins were spotted in the East River. — The MTA will continue its $300 million-a-year subway cleaning effort even after the pandemic ends. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CNN's Donie O'Sullivan … Ted Chiodo of SKDKnickerbocker … NBC News' Dareh Gregorian … Elise Sidamon-Eristoff … Fred Menachem … Steven Olikara of the Millennial Action Project … Mercury's Patrick McCarthy … Bloomberg's Aaron Rutkoff … (was Tuesday): Michael Caputo | | | | A message from Opportunities for NY: New Yorkers need job opportunities NOW that put food on the table. Our State can fund its budget gap with massive cuts to services OR expand downstate gaming through an open and transparent process for ALL THREE remaining licenses. New York State voters already approved the THREE remaining downstate licenses back in 2013. The hard part is done, New York State simply needs to release the bids which will:
- Generate 200,000 new jobs, including 70,000 local union jobs;
- Bring $1.5 billion in immediate state revenue; and
- Achieve $900 million in recurring revenue for our State.
To learn more, visit opportunitiesforny.com | | |
| | REAL ESTATE | | "RAMONE BUFORD had just stepped out of the shower on a recent Friday morning when two heavy-set men dressed as plumbers appeared at his door. They claimed to be investigating a leak coming from his bathroom. Buford, who had moved into the Harlem studio apartment from a homeless shelter just weeks earlier, let them in without a second thought. Days later, Buford got a call from his lawyer. The men, he would soon learn, were not plumbers but former NYPD detectives, now working as private investigators to confirm his address . They were hired by Randy Mastro, an attorney for an Upper West Side group that has spent the last seven months trying to evict homeless men from an emergency shelter in the neighborhood's Lucerne Hotel. A March 12th legal filing submitted by Mastro includes a photo of Buford, standing shirtless inside his own apartment, taken by one of the private eyes without his knowledge. Buford sees their intrusion as part of a continued trend of harassment he says he's faced for speaking up on behalf of shelter residents." Gothamist's Jake Offenhartz "DESPITE CHANGES meant to make it more accessible to applicants, the second round of New York state's rent relief program has reached even fewer people than the first . Nearly eight weeks after the February 1st deadline, New York has paid out just $7 million out of $60 million available for struggling tenants, according to figures from State Assemblymember Zohran Kwame Mamdani. Only about 1,000 additional households qualified for aid in the second round, out of 87,000 applications under review. Between the two rounds, the state awarded $47 million in subsidies to 16,000 households, or roughly 16% of the total applications received since September." WNYC's Katherine Fung
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