After the initial shock over the abuse allegations that caused Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to resign, lawmakers are now focusing on picking his replacement. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced the chamber was accepting applications until Friday and will begin the interview process next week. Jockeying has begun but will lawmakers select an Albany lawmaker or someone outside the Capitol?
We'll have reaction and analysis this week at the Reporters Roundtable with Jesse McKinley of The New York Times and Karen DeWitt of New York State Public Radio. Join us on your local PBS station.
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TUESDAY
Less than 24 hours after the bombshell New Yorker article describing Eric Schneiderman's alleged abusive behavior toward several women, Albany politicians reacted to the news about the now-former Attorney General.
Senator Jim Tedisco, who has been a lawmaker at the Capitol since 1983 and was a key figure in 2008 in demanding the resignation of then-Governor Eliot Spitzer after it was revealed he was caught up in a prostitution ring, bemoaned his experience in dealing with another Albany scandal.
Rockland County State Senator David Carlucci told reporters he doesn't have a favorite in the race to succeed Schneiderman, but he feels it should be a woman.
One big question now is what happens next. By state law, the legislature picks the replacement but the two chambers have to come to an agreement to make that happen. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan said he was "open" to the idea but nothing has been settled yet.
We caught up with Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a longtime collaborator with Schneiderman in prosecuting corruption. He called it a "sad turn of events."
Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has 104 members in his caucus and their chamber will play a major role in the process of choosing a successor for the disgraced Schneiderman. 107 votes are needed to secure the position.
