"Do Your Job": At Rally, Cuomo Accuser Lindsey Boylan Demands Assembly Speaker Impeach Governor

In her first in-person rally since accusing Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, Lindsey Boylan called on Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to impeach the governor, declaring the governor's actions on several fronts to be an abuse of power.

Boylan, a former staffer to Cuomo and currently a Democratic candidate for Manhattan borough president, attended a rally organized by advocacy groups that support impeaching Cuomo not only over allegations of inappropriate behavior but his administration's handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic, an unwillingness to tax the rich, and creating an environment of bullying and intimidation in Albany.

READ MORE: Sexual Harassment Laws Strengthened By Cuomo May Lead To His Undoing

Following Boylan’s accusations, seven more women came forward to accuse Cuomo of inappropriate behavior. Ever since a second accuser, Charlotte Bennett, came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, more and more lawmakers, including New York's congressional delegation and state leaders, have said he’s no longer fit to run the state and called on him to resign. Cuomo has repeatedly defied those calls, arguing that due process must be carried out. On Friday, Alyssa McGrath, a current aide to Cuomo, became the latest woman come forward accusing Cuomo of ogling her body and calling her and a colleague “mingling mamas,” according to the NY Times.

Listen to WNYC's Gwynne Hogan's radio report of the rally:

"We have courageous leaders like [Senate] Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who we can count on to do the right thing," Boylan said at the rally. "Speaker Heastie, on the other hand, wields his power to protect the governor and uphold a system that dismisses and abuses us."

Boylan pressed Heastie to "do your job" and impeach Cuomo.

Heastie has resisted pressure from lawmakers to launch an impeachment process. He instead authorized a wide-ranging investigation through the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which hired an outside counsel to conduct the probe. But the firm, Davis Polk, is revealed to be connected with supporters for Cuomo, leaving many wondering whether a fair process will be carried out.

READ MORE: New York State Assembly Takes "Step Towards Impeachment," Launching Its Own Investigation Into Cuomo

"New Yorkers deserve a transparent and honest impeachment process, not a sham investigation led by people with ties to Governor Cuomo," Boylan said.

A spokesperson for Heastie did not respond to an email request for comment Saturday.

The Assembly’s probe is being conducted just as state Attorney General Letitia James is pursuing her own wide-ranging investigation into Cuomo, which include allegations of

For Boylan, the accusation of abuse of power holds several meanings, which include a lack of financial assistance for working class New Yorkers. The rally called attention to a days-long hunger strike by undocumented workers unable to benefit from the latest stimulus package that passed last week.

Assemblymember Ron Kim—a Queens legislator who was threatened by Cuomo in a now notorious telephone conversation—said the work of healing New York begins with impeaching Cuomo.

"We must focus on the work in front of us, which is to tax the rich, to break the concentration of wealth and make sure we can invest in our people once again," Kim said.

Other lawmakers, including state Senator Julia Salazar of Brooklyn, were on hand to press Cuomo to put $3 billion toward an excluded workers fund.

"The question is, how many workers, how many women, how many survivors, have to courageously come forward before we act?" Salazar said. "Not one more."

The rally comes ten days before the New York State budget is due.

The article has been updated to clarify a point made by state Senator Julia Salazar.