Facing a storm of opposition from his own Democratic Party, Governor Andrew Cuomo has responded to calls for his resignation, effectively denouncing any such plan.
Friday morning (March 12th), a concerted message from over a dozen House members, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerrod Nadler, essentially decided that Cuomo was no longer in any state to govern.
“Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York,” added senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand by the end of the day in a joint statement. “Governor Cuomo should resign.”
It wouldn’t take long for the third-term leader to respond in an impromptu news conference as Cuomo denied allegations of sexual harassment and criticized his fellow party members for their “reckless and dangerous” remarks.
“There are now two reviews underway,” Cuomo said of the allegations made by women who interacted with the Governor in professional settings. “No one wants them to happen more quickly and more thoroughly than I do. Let them do it. I am not going to argue this issue in the press. That’s not the way it should be done. Serious allegations should be weighed seriously.”
The governor also remarked that resigning would be equivocal to “bowing to cancel culture,” flipping the script on his own victimization during his call.
Since February, Cuomo has been accused of sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior by over a dozen women, including former aide Lindsey Boylan who alleges that the governor forcibly kissed her on the lips and Charlotte Bennett who says that he probed her on whether or not she had slept with an older man.
“My statement could not be clearer,” Cuomo added during the call, which lasted just under 30 minutes. “I never harassed anyone. I never assaulted anyone […] I did not have a sexual relationship that was inappropriate, period. OK. Thank you very much. Bye.”
