Following the release of an explosive new report by the New York state attorney general's office on claims of sexual harassment against the governor, President Joe Biden called on Andrew Cuomo to resign. He didn't say whether Cuomo should be impeached and removed from office by the New York State Assembly or if he should be prosecuted.
Many claims of sexual harassment were documented in the report, which also stated that the Cuomo administration had a "hostile work environment" and that Cuomo broke multiple federal and state laws - though the office is not pursuing a criminal probe. Biden said he did not talk with Cuomo on Tuesday and did not review the report in detail. He only knows the outcome, he said.
Joe Biden, senators urge Andrew Cuomo to resign
When asked if he stands by comments made earlier this year in which he suggested Cuomo, a close ally, should resign once the attorney general is convicted of sexual harassment charges, Biden responded, "Yes."
Per NPR, Cuomo and Biden had had a lengthy friendship extending back to when his father, Mario Cuomo, was governor of New York. The elder Cuomo is adored in New York and has gained national acclaim, particularly for his 1984 Democratic National Convention address, which laid out the party's course during the Reagan years when it was in the electoral wilderness. Cuomo maintains that he did nothing wrong, and he defended himself in a recorded video released Tuesday, appealing directly to New York voters.
Biden asked Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed that Cuomo sexually assaulted women in his state job. Many of these ladies were young, and the governor harassed them by participating in unwanted and non-consensual touching and making provocative and sexual comments, creating a hostile work environment.
Cuomo, who climbed through the ranks of the Democratic Party, is now facing possible legal action and punishment. Several women, including former and present staffers, have accused the governor of making improper statements and behavior, including unwanted touching and unwanted sexual attempts.
Following the revelation of several sexual harassment claims against Governor Andrew Cuomo, members of the New York State Senate are pushing for his impeachment. Many members of the Senate have publicly called for his resignation, and Democratic members of the Assembly attended a meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss the possibility of impeachment.
"It is abundantly clear to me that the Governor has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office." Speaker Carl Heastie said in a statement following their meeting.
Today, researchers claim 83 percent of New York State Senate members and 56 percent of State Assembly members have called for NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign or be impeached, Newsweek reported.
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Will Cuomo resign or be impeached?
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose meticulously planned public appearances during the pandemic elevated him to one of his party's most well-known national figures, is facing an existential threat to his political career in the wake of a troubling report released Tuesday alleging that he sexually harassed 11 women and broke federal and state law.
For a few hours, an already weakened governor lost the backing of a slew of allies and state and national party officials who had been deferring judgment, casting doubt on his ability to stay in office, let alone win a fourth term. The public's reaction to the inquiry revealed by the New York State attorney general's office is yet unknown, as per The NY Times.
Unless Cuomo resigns, the State Assembly, which has opened an impeachment investigation, will determine the most immediate consequences of the report. According to a source familiar with the process, the investigation and compilation of impeachment articles may be completed in less than a month. A State Senate trial may start as early as late September or early October.
Meanwhile, Cuomo has reached the most vulnerable moment of his decades in public life - a moment that has the potential to reshape the political landscape in New York. Lawmakers who were previously hesitant to criticize Cuomo because of his threat of retaliation publicly are now demanding his resignation. Elected politicians representing Cuomo's key constituencies, including Black voters and white suburban voters, have urged him to resign.
Cuomo's Democratic mayoral nominee, Eric Adams, pushed the Assembly to go through impeachment procedures if the governor would not resign earlier this summer. Top labor leaders are gradually splitting with the governor.
Related Article: Cuomo Allegedly Sexually Harasses 11 Women, Faces Widespread Criticism From Democrats
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