Gov. Andrew Cuomo offered his resignation on Tuesday, amid multiple scandals and with several ongoing investigations looking into misconduct in his office. The announcement came exactly one week after Attorney General Letitia James released the findings of her investigation into sexual harassment claims against the governor, and one day after the Assembly Judiciary Committee set an expedited timetable to conclude its impeachment investigation.

For months, the governor insisted that he had done nothing wrong and had no intention of leaving office voluntarily. But with pressure mounting and support crumbling, he recalibrated and finally realized the obvious – there was no path forward. The governor did the right thing by stepping aside. Now the Assembly Judiciary Committee tasked with the impeachment investigation must also do the right thing by completing its work.

The Assembly impeachment investigation has been ongoing for five months, collecting evidence across several fronts. In addition to the now-confirmed sexual harassment claims, Gov. Cuomo is facing questions regarding his administration’s failed nursing home policy and subsequent cover-up, the improper use of state resources related to his $5.1 million book deal, preferential treatment for friends and family to get COVID tests and questions surrounding the structural integrity of the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

A job resignation does not equate to accountability. The hours of work, the mountain of evidence and the information discovered by the impeachment inquiry should not simply be swept under the rug. As the six Minority members of the Judiciary Committee stated this week, “The people of the state of New York deserve public disclosure of the information obtained during our search for the truth. We intend to hold Gov. Andrew Cuomo accountable on behalf of his victims, including the 15,000 innocent lives lost in nursing homes.”

Additionally, impeaching Andrew Cuomo means he would be prohibited from holding public office ever again in New York state. That in itself makes the process worth pursuing. Even while he made his resignation announcement, he remained defiant and unremorseful about any of the events that led up to one of the ugliest moments in the history of state government. Following through with impeachment proceedings is both practically and symbolically imperative.

The Legislature has it within its power to bar Cuomo from seeking office and from collecting his state-funded pension, and we absolutely should do both. There is no place in public service for Andrew Cuomo, and there is certainly no reason to allow him to take anything else from taxpayers. His actions, which are under criminal investigation, should no longer be shouldered by the people of this state.

New York will eventually turn the page on Andrew Cuomo’s misconduct and begin to move forward when Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul becomes the first female governor in state history. But in order for that to happen, the Assembly’s impeachment investigators must finish the work they started, the public must be given the opportunity to see all that has occurred and Gov. Cuomo must finally be held accountable for his actions.