Pol on Cuomo ‘impeach’ panel bails on hosting fundraiser for AG James
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A pol who plans to draft articles of impeachment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo was set to co-host a big-bucks fundraiser for Attorney General Letitia James — but bailed after the AG released her scathing report on the governor.
Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright (D-Manhattan) was slated to co-host a Hamptons event for James at which tickets cost up to $5,000 a person, according to a copy of an early invitation sent to potential donors.
But an updated version eliminated Seawright’s name, distancing her from James amid claims by Cuomo and his camp that the AG’s report was a political hit job and that the attorney general may run against the governor, whose third term expires next year.
James’s report — which accused Cuomo of sexually harassing 11 women, including nine current or former state workers — was released just four days before Saturday night’s “summer backyard tea dance” to benefit her re-election campaign.
One political insider said the timing of the fund-raiser didn’t make for a good look.
“The ink was barely dry on the AG’s report before Tish was raising big bucks for her campaign,” the source said.
“This doesn’t exactly kill the speculation that her motivations against Cuomo were extremely political.”
James’ camp said the fundraiser had been scheduled since June.
Cuomo has been in hiding since the report came out, but he released a prerecorded video statement in which he denied any wrongdoing.
Seawright is among 18 Judiciary Committee members who are conducting a wide-ranging impeachment investigation of Cuomo. On Thursday, Chairman Charles Lavine (D-LI) released a letter in which the committee’s lawyers told Cuomo that the probe was “nearing completion.”
The warning letter also gave him until this coming Friday to submit any information he wants the committee to consider before deciding whether to move against him.
The committee is set to meet Monday morning in Albany.
Seawright said Sunday of the fundraiser: “As a member of the Judiciary Committee, and to avoid the appearance of any conflict during the investigation, I removed my name from the invitation.”
“I attended the event because Tish supported me during my run for Assembly and I wanted to show my support for her re-election,” she added.
On Friday, Seawright called James’ report “devastating” for Cuomo and added, “As a member of the Judiciary Committee charged with reviewing all the facts, I want to see the process to conclusion, including the drawing up and approval of articles of impeachment.”
The fundraiser for James was held at the Southampton home of financial adviser and LGBTQ activist Judith Kaser-Windsor, the widow of Edie Windsor, who was the lead plaintiff in the US Supreme Court case that led to the legalization of same-sex marriages.
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