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Allegations of sexual harassment against Gov. Andrew Cuomo are making him fight for his political life, as an investigation overseen by Attorney General Letitia James gets underway. A growing number of Democrats and Republicans are calling for his resignation and his political donors are reportedly getting skittish.
Yet, despite the ways that the scandal appears to be endangering his political future, it remains entirely possible that the three-term governor will face no consequences at all from lawmakers, even if a report concludes the allegations are true.
It is just really, really hard for lawmakers to hold a New York governor accountable for his personal behavior. Impeaching a chief executive is no easier, or less politically fraught, in Albany than it is in Washington, D.C. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics in theory could do something, though its 10-year track record suggests it is better at protecting political insiders than it is at exposing wrongdoing and imposing punishments. This is especially the case with the governor, who appoints six out of the 14 members of the commission, while three each are chosen by the leaders of the legislative majorities and one each for their counterparts in the minorities.