Incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul vows cooperation with Cuomo investigations

Incoming New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday she’ll name a lieutenant from New York City and pledged to cooperate with other ongoing investigations into the Cuomo Administration.

Hochul, appearing on CBS’ "Face the Nation," said she had narrowed her selection for her top deputy "in terms of the geographic area" to New York City, noting her own roots upstate, but she stopped short of naming a potential candidate.

"I want someone who lives there and someone who understands the challenges firsthand," Hochul said, adding that she will announce her appointee after she is sworn in to replace outgoing Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Aug. 24.

State Sens. Jamaal Bailey of the Bronx and Brian Benjamin of Manhattan have both emerged as top contenders, and are among the candidates who have been vetted by Hochul and her team, according to The Associated Press.

Cuomo announced his resignation Tuesday following a five-month investigation by Attorney General Letitia James that concluded in a 165-page report that found he had sexually harassed 11 women and cultivated a toxic work environment.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), announced Friday that state legislators would discontinue an impeachment inquiry into Cuomo, citing the governor’s resignation. Heastie has faced pushback from some state Democrats who have argued the Assembly’s investigation should have continued.

Asked about those critical of Heastie, Hochul said she has "full faith" in the speaker’s decision, and pledged to cooperate with other investigations into Cuomo, including an inquiry into his administration’s handling of nursing homes during the onset of the pandemic.

"There are other investigations that are on the outside that I have pledged the full support and transparency of my administration in furthering those as necessary," Hochul said.

Hochul said an "early" focus for her administration will be releasing accurate data detailing nursing home deaths linked to COVID-19. The U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn is reportedly examining whether the Cuomo administration misreported the number of COVID-19-related deaths at state nursing homes.

"I'm not going to raise expectations that I have those documents in my hand on Day One," Hochul said, "what I have done already is meet with the commissioner of health [Howard Zucker], and we'll be talking about what any outstanding requests for data are, out in the realm," Hochul said.

She said she would "evaluate" a request by Assemb. Ron Kim (D-Flushing) to release her emails to prove she was unaware of misconduct allegations against Cuomo.

"It's hard to prove a negative because I've had no communication along those lines, but I believe in transparency and we'll evaluate all requests," Hochul said. "But it is no secret that the governor and I were not close."

Hochul said last week she plans on running in next year’s gubernatorial race, a contest that has already attracted GOP hopefuls Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) and Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Asked about the prospect of Cuomo returning to run for a fourth term, Hochul, in an interview on CNN’s "State of the Union," said the "governor will do what he chooses to do."

Hochul, who served as lieutenant governor for the past seven years, said she'll be "laser focused on dealing with COVID, getting our economy back, getting kids back in schools and dealing with a whole host of other challenges that I'm prepared for."

In an interview with New York Magazine published over the weekend, Cuomo said he resigned to not "drag the state" through an impeachment hearing he believes he would have won. Asked about Cuomo’s remarks, Hochul told interviewers on Sunday that she was focused on her current transition and not his future plans.

"I'm not going to try to get into the head of the governor and understand his motivation for saying what he does, that's not what my goal is," Hochul said on CBS. "My goal is to have a smooth transition and hit the ground running, literally in a matter of days. So I've got a lot of waiting challenges, and reaching out to the experts and elected officials, and we're going to stay focused. I will have no distractions in my administration."