Crimes and Courts
Majority of NY Assembly Would Oust Cuomo if He Doesn’t Quit
Published
5 years agoon
By
Willie David
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A majority of state Assembly members support beginning impeachment proceedings against Gov. Andrew Cuomo if he doesn’t resign over investigative findings that he sexually harassed at least 11 women, according to an Associated Press count Wednesday.
At least 86 of the body’s 150 members have said publicly or told The AP that they favored initiating the process of ousting the third-term Democratic governor if he doesn’t quit. It takes a simple majority to authorize an impeachment trial.
The tally reflects a governor plunged into a political deep freeze — a Democratic scion who has now lost most, if not all, of his allies in the party establishment, just a year after basking in national attention as a blunt-but-relatable voice of fighting the coronavirus.
Cuomo denies making any inappropriate sexual advances and insists the findings don’t reflect the facts. But while political pressure is growing, so is the potential for criminal charges against Cuomo.
District attorneys in Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties and the state capital of Albany said they asked for investigative materials from the inquiry, overseen by Democratic state Attorney General Letitia James. The inquiry found that Cuomo — a former state AG himself — violated civil laws against sexual harassment, and it left the door open for local prosecutors to bring cases.
Joyce A. Smith, Nassau County’s acting district attorney, called the findings “deeply disturbing” and pledged her office would “thoroughly and expeditiously investigate.”
After James released her report Tuesday, Democrats from the statehouse to the White House called for Cuomo to go. President Joe Biden said the governor should resign, though press secretary Jen Psaki wouldn’t say Wednesday whether Biden wanted to see Cuomo removed from office.
“The president believes Governor Cuomo should do the right thing, resign, and leave space for future leadership in New York,” Psaki said.
One of the governor’s closest allies, New York Democratic Party chairperson Jay Jacobs, declared that Cuomo “has lost his ability to govern, both practically and morally.” Jacobs told Spectrum News he had tried privately to persuade Cuomo to resign but “wasn’t making headway.”
Cuomo showed no signs of heeding such messages. He said some episodes described in the report never happened, others were misconstrued or mischaracterized and the whole exercise was tainted.
“Politics and bias are interwoven throughout every aspect of this situation,” he said Tuesday in a recorded video response.
Assembly Democrats, who lead the chamber, debated virtually for hours Tuesday about whether to impeach the governor now, wait to see whether he resigns, or give the Judiciary Committee time to wrap up its wide-ranging investigation into topics from sexual misconduct to the Cuomo administration’s months-long obfuscation of the total number of nursing home residents who died from COVID-19.
At least 40 Democrats back starting impeachment proceedings if Cuomo doesn’t leave on his own.
As New York became the nation’s deadliest coronavirus hotspot in spring 2020, Cuomo’s daily briefings garnered him fans around the country and an International Emmy Award. Casting himself as a tough-minded yet compassionate leader who steered the state through crisis, the governor even wrote a book about it.
Now, that book itself is among the focuses of investigations into Cuomo, with James examining the role some of his aides played in producing it.
As complaints and investigations accumulated in recent months, Cuomo became an embattled but unabashed figure. He often still touts the state’s handling of the pandemic, despite now-rising infection rates amid a national surge in the more infectious delta variant.
The 150-member Assembly would need 76 votes to impeach Cuomo and send articles of impeachment to the Senate. The Assembly includes 106 Democrats, 43 Republicans and one Independent.
Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay urged Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, to convene an emergency special session to vote to impeach Cuomo.
Heastie said he wants to conclude the Assembly’s investigation as quickly as possible. Judiciary committee members Tom Abinanti and Phil Steck variously estimated the timeframe at weeks or a month.
The two Democrats said that some lawmakers want to vote for impeachment within days, but time is needed to build a strong case for a Senate trial.
If the Assembly votes to impeach, the state Senate could launch an impeachment trial in weeks, Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris told The Associated Press. He said the chamber has been preparing for months.
“We’ll be ready to go if and when the impeachment articles are sent over,” he said. “It could happen very quickly.”
James’ investigation, conducted by two outside lawyers, found that the governor touched or made sexually inappropriate comments to a series of women. Many worked for him, including a state trooper whom Cuomo successfully sought to have assigned to his security detail.
While many of the allegations involve verbal comments, some women alleged that he gave them unwanted kisses or touches. One aide said he reached under her shirt and groped her breast at the governor’s mansion in Albany.
The governor denied Tuesday that he ever inappropriately touched anyone and said that he never intended harm.
Cuomo — a son of three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo — has rebuffed calls to step down and has moved ahead with plans to run for a fourth term in 2022.
You may like
Crimes and Courts
Family of Corey Ruiz to Speak Publicly for First Time Alongside Attorney Ben Crump Following Fatal Madison Police Shooting
Published
2 weeks agoon
July 24, 2026
MADISON, Wis. (July 24, 2026) — Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump will join the family of Corey Ruiz at a news conference Saturday in Madison, where family members are expected to speak publicly for the first time since Ruiz was fatally shot by a Madison police officer.
Ruiz’s family, joined by attorneys Ben Crump, Steve Hart, and B’Ivory Lamarr, along with State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D–Madison), is expected to call for a full, independent investigation into the shooting and seek accountability for the circumstances surrounding Ruiz’s death.
According to the Madison Police Department, Ruiz was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during an encounter with officers at a busy intersection on the city’s near-east side. Police have stated that Ruiz allegedly produced a fixed-blade knife and injured an officer during a struggle before an officer discharged his firearm.
However, video recorded by a bystander and reported by the Wisconsin Examiner appears to show an officer stomping Ruiz while he was on the ground as the first gunshot was fired. The video has drawn increased public attention and renewed questions regarding the officers’ use of force during the incident.
The incident has also highlighted the fact that Madison police officers do not wear body cameras, prompting additional calls from community members and civil rights advocates for greater transparency and independent review.
Scheduled Speakers
- Corey Ruiz’s family
- Attorney Ben Crump
- Attorney Steve Hart
- Attorney B’Ivory Lamarr
- State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D–Madison)
The news conference is expected to address the family’s response to the shooting, outline the legal team’s next steps, and reiterate calls for an independent investigation into the incident.
Central Florida News
Orlando Police Arrest Three Following Shooting at West Lakes Apartment Complex
Published
4 weeks agoon
July 10, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Orlando Police arrested three suspects Thursday following a shooting at the Pendana at West Lakes Club Apartments that led to a high-speed pursuit spanning Orange and Seminole counties.
Police said no injuries were reported despite multiple rounds being fired during the incident.
Shooting Reported at Apartment Complex
According to the Orlando Police Department (OPD), officers responded at approximately 3:50 p.m. Thursday, July 9, to the 2000 block of Orange Center Boulevard after receiving reports of gunfire at the Pendana at West Lakes Club Apartments.
During the investigation, detectives reviewed surveillance video showing occupants of a black sedan and a black SUV firing multiple rounds at two individuals riding scooters through the apartment complex.
Investigators said everyone involved fled the scene before officers arrived.
Police Locate Suspect Vehicles
Shortly after the shooting, Orlando officers located both suspect vehicles in the North Pine Hills area.
With assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), officers conducted a traffic stop on the black sedan and detained two suspects without incident.
Officers later located the black SUV and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop, triggering a police pursuit.
Helicopter Assists During Pursuit
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit tracked the fleeing SUV from the air while directing responding officers on the ground.
The pursuit ended in Altamonte Springs, where the driver stopped in front of a Burlington Coat Factory, abandoned the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot.
Orlando Police officers quickly apprehended the suspect.
Three Suspects Arrested
Police identified the suspects as:
Jacorey Lowery (DOB: July 8, 2006)
Charges:
- Attempted Felony Murder (Firearm/Discharge)
- Discharging a Firearm at Residential Property
Quincy Desponosse (DOB: April 21, 2008)
Charge:
- Principal to Attempted First-Degree Murder
Semaj Blackshear
Charges:
- Principal to Attempted Felony Murder with a Firearm
- Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement at High Speed with Disregard for Public Safety or Property
- Resisting an Officer Without Violence
- Juvenile Violation of Probation
None of the Suspects Lived at the Complex
Investigators determined that none of the three individuals arrested were residents of the Pendana at West Lakes Club Apartments.
Police have not released information regarding a possible motive or whether the suspects knew the two individuals on the scooters.
Investigation Continues
The Orlando Police Department said the investigation remains active.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact the Orlando Police Department or Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).
Crimes and Courts
Attorney General Uthmeier Announces Charges Against Six in South Florida Drug Trafficking Enterprise
Published
2 months agoon
June 13, 2026
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced charges against six individuals accused of participating in a multi-county drug trafficking enterprise operating in Broward County and surrounding areas of South Florida.
The defendants — Isaac Lakeith Bruton, Wayne Morgan Brutton Jr., Wayne Morgan Brutton Sr., Omar Dwayne Cooper, Rene Danger Jr., and Cleon Fabian Reid — are accused of participating in an organized criminal enterprise that allegedly distributed large quantities of illegal narcotics and laundered proceeds from drug sales.
Investigation Spanned Multiple Agencies
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the charges stem from a joint investigation led by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Organized Crime Unit and the Office of Statewide Prosecution, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
“This joint investigation dismantled a criminal enterprise that pumped dangerous drugs into Florida communities,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “Through the tireless work of the Office of Statewide Prosecution and our great law enforcement partners, we are taking on more criminal prosecutions than ever before.”
Alleged Drug Trafficking Operation
Investigators allege the organization obtained and distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine, multiple pounds of marijuana, prescription pills and other controlled substances throughout South Florida.
According to authorities, members of the enterprise converted powdered cocaine into crack cocaine near distribution locations and utilized vehicles equipped with hidden compartments to transport narcotics.
The investigation further alleges that Bruton and Cooper laundered proceeds from drug sales through the purchase of vehicles, real estate, business investments, classic car restorations and jewelry.
Charges Filed
Bruton and Cooper are each charged with:
- Racketeering (First-Degree Felony)
- Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering (First-Degree Felony)
- Money Laundering (Third-Degree Felony)
Brutton Jr., Brutton Sr., Danger Jr., and Reid are each charged with:
- Racketeering (First-Degree Felony)
- Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering (First-Degree Felony)
Potential Penalties
If convicted, Bruton and Cooper face up to 75 years in prison. Brutton Jr., Brutton Sr., Danger Jr., and Reid each face up to 60 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.
The case will be prosecuted by Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Jillian Tate and Nicholas Kaleel.
Presumption of Innocence
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
