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“You want to appear coopera- support her claims against Cuomo
tive with the investigator” as the and his staff, said attorney Debra
target of an inquiry, she said. But, Katz, who is representing her.
Rosenberg said she thinks there With state Attorney Bennett gave information on
will be room for negotiation over the “sexually hostile work envi-
certain details, such as the manner General Letitia James ronment” that Cuomo fostered
in which documents are produced and his “deliberate effort to create
and how far back they search for overseeing an independent rivalries and tension among fe-
documents. investigation into the male staffers,” Katz reported.
claims, employment
Employment lawyers say inves- “One piece of new information
tigators will hone in on any emails, lawyers say the best move that came to light today was the
texts or other electronic records for Cuomo is to simply governor’s preoccupation with his
tied to the accusers’ sexual harass- comply with the inquiry hand size and what the large size
and let the investigation

ment claims, particularly those run its course. of his hands indicated to Charlotte

created around the time an inci- and other members of his staff,”
dent occurred. Katz said in a statement.
Overall, investigators will try The investigation, Katz argued,
to reach a conclusion on the evi- should focus on Cuomo’s behavior
dence and on the credibility of the witnesses, said and a culture of “fear, abuse and secrecy that he and
Sheryl Galler, an employment lawyer based in New his most senior staff cultivated.”
York City. “We have full confidence in the investigation and
It remains unclear how far back the inquiry will the investigators,” she said in the statement.
go into Cuomo’s tenure as governor. Either way, in- ¦

vestigators appear to be moving quickly. Ryan Tarinelli is a reporter at the New York Law
One of the governor’s accusers, former aide Char- Journal. He is based at the New York State Capitol
lotte Bennett, met with the investigators for more in Albany, New York. He can be reached through
than four hours Monday and has given them more email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter:
than 120 pages of “contemporaneous records” to @ryantarinelli.

Davis Polk Picked to Head Impeachment
Investigation Into Cuomo Allegations

By Ryan Tarinelli

The law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell will lead The Cuomo administration remains engulfed in
the New York state Assembly impeachment in- controversy as Cuomo seeks to ride out not only a
vestigation into misconduct allegations against sexual harassment scandal, but also a firestorm of
Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the third-term executive criticism over his administration’s handling of coro-
tries to stay in office. navirus nursing home death figures.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, named the Even as his political support steadily eroded in
international law firm Wednesday, just under a week recent weeks, Cuomo has remained defiant and re-
after he authorized the chamber’s judiciary commit- buffed calls to resign.
tee to move forward with the impeachment inquiry.
¦ Continued on PAGE 18

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