New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul distanced herself Wednesday from disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo and said she will purge her new administration of any state employees who acted unethically to help Mr. Cuomo fight allegations of sexual harassment.
“I think it’s very clear that the governor and I have not been close, physically or otherwise,” Ms. Hochul said.
In her first public appearance since Mr. Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday, Ms. Hochul told reporters that she would have preferred to take over as governor immediately.
The transition will take place Aug. 24, at Mr. Cuomo’s insistence.
“I want people to know that I’m ready for this,” she said. “It’s not something we expected or asked for.”
The 62-year-old Democrat will become the first female governor in the state’s history.
Asked if she would consider pardoning Mr. Cuomo if he is convicted of any criminal charges related to his sexual misconduct, Ms. Hochul said, “it’s far too premature to have those conversations. I’m talking right now about my vision for the state of New York.”
She also said she won’t advise the state Assembly on whether to move ahead with its impeachment probe of Mr. Cuomo.
The legislature couldn’t remove Mr. Cuomo from office, but an impeachment and conviction in a Senate trial would bar him from holding public office again.
Ms. Hochul has kept a low profile since Mr. Cuomo tapped her as his running mate in 2014. She said she’s prepared to take over in two weeks, and has been conferring with business, labor and faith leaders around the state.
Even before taking charge, Ms. Hochul found herself defending her flip-flop on the state’s “Green light law,” which allows undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license. She said her position has “evolved” on the issue.
As the Erie County clerk in 2007, Ms. Hochul opposed giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and said the county “should not facilitate violations of immigration law.”
But as Mr. Cuomo’s running mate, she moved to the left and became a vocal supporter of the proposal.
“I’m proud of that law,” Ms. Hochul said. “Our immigrants need to be able to get to their jobs, and parents need to take their kids to doctor’s appointments.”
One of her primary tasks will be to tackle a surge in the delta variant of COVID-19 to help businesses and schools, she said.
She said she spoke with Mr. Cuomo and he pledged a smooth transition, despite apparent friction between them.
“No one will ever describe my administration as a ’toxic work environment’,” Ms. Hochul said, referring to a state attorney general’s report confirming Mr. Cuomo’s pattern of harassing female subordinates.
Ms. Hochul said she was unaware of the harassment described in the report over a period of several years, despite serving as Mr. Cuomo’s second-in-command for more than six years.
“I’ve been traveling the state and do not spend much time in his presence or in the presence of many in the state capital,” she said.
Among her first moves will be choosing a new lieutenant governor, a decision she expects to make within the next two weeks, before she takes the oath of office on Aug. 24.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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