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A primer on New York's impeachment process

By David Freedlander, amNewYork Staff Writer
More stories | dfreedlander@am-ny.com

March 12, 2008

The last and only impeached governor in New York state history is William Sulzer in 1913. Sulzer was accused of misappropriating campaign funds and tried by the High Court of Impeachment and later a special tribune.

Under the state constitution, there are no specific grounds for impeachment today, just a process that must be followed, according to officials in the state Assembly.

Here's how it would go:

- The process begins in the Assembly, with an introduction by a member.

- The Assembly can vote to impeach by a simple majority.

- The governor would then be tried before the state Senate and members of the state Court of Appeals.

- A two-thirds vote from the combined Senate and Court of Appeals are required for an impeachment.

Impeachment can result in removal from office and disqualification from holding office again. It also does not prevent criminal prosecution.

In Gov. Eliot Spitzer's case, an impeachment may be difficult to achieve with a Democrat-controlled Assembly and only a slim GOP majority in the Senate.