Fox News "Hannity" - Transcript: Interview with Elise Stefanik
Interview
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And here with more reaction, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and FOX News senior meteorologist Janice Dean.
Congresswoman, let me begin with you. You were the first public official to call for an investigation here. Now, you hear from Schumer, you hear from Gillibrand, Joe Biden, Hakeem Jeffries, Gregory Meeks, Democrats, they're the ones demanding that he resign. Will he?
REP. ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): Well, I think Governor Cuomo -- what we've seen today is he's been defiant. He is digging in.
He needs to be impeached immediately. For too long, Democrats in the state legislature have slow-walked impeachment proceedings, and I will commend my friend Janice Dean for calling out early on. There are multiple federal and state investigations for multiple crimes committed.
The attorney general's report, Sean, is crystal clear. There are multiple credible examples of sexual harassment, sexual assaults and really damning reports of the sexual assault of a New York state trooper that was assigned to his protective service.
So if he refuses to resign, which I called for his resignation months ago, he needs to be impeached immediately and every Democrat in the state legislature needs to be held accountable for taking that vote and moving through that process as quickly as possible.
HANNITY: Yeah.
You know, Janice, I know you lost your mother and father-in-law with the nursing home scandal and you have been outspoken and demanding accountability because there was straight up according to a whistleblower - - if you want to use that term -- they purposely hid the numbers that they knew were coming in and rather than admit the policy was bad, he signed a book deal.
Now, the Biden DOJ has let all of these governors, Whitmer, Murphy and others off the hook, Wolf off the hook, but especially in this case, New York.
I've not spoken to you since your reaction to that and your reaction to today.
JANICE DEAN, FOX NEWS SENIOR METEOROLOGIST: Well, I've always said I don't care what ultimately brings this governor down, you know? And to the brave women who told their story, to Attorney General Letitia James and the investigators, my hats off to them. That was a very difficult thing for them to do.
It just shows this man's abuse of power and that's what he's been doing for many years now. And I just want people to know and remember, those who don't have a voice, those who can't testify, like my in-laws, over 15,000 of them that died I think in part due to his March 25th order for 46 days. And I do hope the investigations continue here in New York when it comes to the nursing homes.
HANNITY: The attorney general did say -- use the word criminally both on a state level and a federal level but it would be the jurisdiction I believe of the head of the Albany attorney's office. So there still is hope beyond the Biden Justice Department. Your thoughts on the progress of where that might go?
DEAN: I'm hopeful, Sean, I really am. I've spoken to lawmakers today, Ron Kim, Assemblyman Ron Kim who is also very hopeful.
The impeachment process, it looks like they're going to go ahead with that as well. My fingers are crossed, even though I believe they've been stonewalling for all of these months. He has to be held accountable and that's the bottom line, and I'll continue to raise my voice until I don't have one anymore.
HANNITY: And you know what? I know a lot of people have been cheering you on.
Congresswoman, we'll give you the last word. How do you see this all playing out on both levels on this case and on the nursing home issue?
STEFANIK: Well, first, I want to thank Janice Dean for her courage in speaking out, and she has experienced the smearing in retaliation that anyone who has opposed Governor Cuomo faces on a day-to-day basis. We saw that in today's report by the attorney general, the toxic workplace culture of top Governor Cuomo aides who are paid for by the New York state taxpayers smeared and illegally retaliated against these brave women who came forward.
So we are going to continue to fight for accountability and justice for every New Yorker, not just in this case, which of course we want to pursue the impeachment proceedings. But Janice is right, we need to make sure that there's justice for the voiceless, those seniors -- over 15,000, who lost their lives because of the illegal actions of Governor Cuomo.
So I'm proud to stand with Janice Dean. Regardless of whether the governor was -- is impeached or not, which he better be impeached, we will continue to fight for justice for the seniors who lost their lives because of his illegal act forcing positive COVID patients back into nursing homes.
HANNITY: We'll stay on both issues as they develop. And thank you both for being with us tonight. We appreciate it.
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