New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY), the second in the line of succession for the state’s executive branch, has reportedly been seeking advice …
New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY), the second in the line of succession for the state’s executive branch, has reportedly been seeking advice on what to do in her first days in office if Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) were to resign. The Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the matter, reports that Hochul was telling people in phone calls that she could end up leading the New York government in mere weeks. These purported phone calls included her seeking advice on which officials from the governor’s office she should retain and who she should hire. State Senator Timmothy Kennedy, who has known Hochul for decades, told The New York Times that he recently spoke with her and that she is “in the process of preparing to assume the governor’s seat.” Cuomo has refused to resign, saying in a press conference that he has “never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.” Top Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and President Joe Biden, have called on Cuomo to step down from office in light of the attorney general’s report, which concluded that Cuomo “engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment” under state and federal law.
