New York Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy today called for the immediate dismissal of Speaker Carl Heastie’s top aide, Howard Vargas, for his threatening phone call to JCOPE member Julie Garcia following her vote on whether or not to investigate Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration for the violation of state laws.
Speaker Heastie confirmed Garcia’s account that she received a phone call from Heastie’s counsel following a secret, closed-door vote that JCOPE was mandated to take on whether or not they would investigate the Governor’s administration for using government resources to conduct political activity, which is a crime.
They were compelled to take the vote as a result of a lawsuit filed by the NYGOP against JCOPE who was in violation of its own laws for burying the NYGOP’s formal complaint detailing evidence of the criminal activity.
Chairman Langworthy called Vargas’ phone call delivering a threatening message to Garcia that they knew how she voted “a clear fireable offense and violation of ethics laws.”
“Howard Vargas calling a JCOPE member to deliver a threatening message: ‘we know what you did’ is extortion, intimidation and a clear violation of ethics laws,” said Chairman Langworthy.
“We don’t need another rigged probe from people who have zero credibility. He has flagrantly broken the public trust and he can no longer serve in our government. Cuomo’s JCOPE cover-up is unraveling by the day and there must be justice,” Langworthy added.
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