New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo is going down — hard!
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Andrew Cuomo, who was once affectionately known as “America’s governor” for providing daily COVID updates during 2020 that were broadcast around the world, has long been accused of sexually harassing and inappropriately touching his female employees. Although the governor adamantly denied the charges, a state investigation has now concluded that the charges are indeed true, setting Cuomo up for a disastrous and abrupt end to a stunning political career.
The investigation was led by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who has a “no-nonsense” reputation for being thorough and getting down to the facts. Or, to put it more bluntly, Ms. James does not play and certainly did not come to play in the Cuomo investigation.
According to a conclusive report from the attorney general, Andrew Cuomo “sexually harassed multiple women and violated state law,” including “many of whom were young women, by engaging in unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and by making inappropriate comments.”
These findings came from various emails and texts by the female employees who documented the governor’s actions in real-time while it was occurring.
“Cuomo treated the women around him as prey,” the report continued. Women who worked with him described “having the governor seek them out, stare intently at them, look them up and down or gaze at their chest or butt,” said Anne Clark, a former federal prosecutor who co-authored the report with employment lawyer Joon H. Kim.
As if that wasn’t enough, the report also found that “the Executive Chamber’s culture — one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor’s frequent flirtations and gender-based comments — contributed to the conditions that allowed the sexual harassment to occur and persist.” Additionally, at least one of the women was retaliated against for speaking publicly about the abuse she faced.
Renewed calls for Andrew Cuomo to resign flooded in from everywhere late last week, including members of the NY state assembly, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as Governors Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Dan McKee of Rhode Island, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania. Even President Biden, a longtime supporter of the governor and friend of the Cuomo family, urged the governor to step down. However, Cuomo has still refused to resign or even acknowledge any of the charges levied against him.
Instead, Cuomo staged a video presentation for the court of public opinion late last week, depicting himself as a loving and caring politician who normally grabs supporters by their faces and kisses them on their cheeks (a trait he claimed to learn from his late father, former NY governor and Democratic Party icon, Mario Cuomo).
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“Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign.” – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
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“The facts are much different than what has been portrayed,” Andrew Cuomo insisted in a statement on Friday. He added that he “never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.”
“That is just not who I am and that’s not who I have ever been,” Cuomo claimed.
The governor also argued that because one of his accusers is a survivor of sexual assault, her past experiences have likely caused her to “misinterpret” his affectionate actions and “take them out of context” against him.
“We found all 11 women to be credible,” Attorney General James said. “I am inspired by all the brave women who came forward, but more importantly I believe them.”
New York State House Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, said Friday that unless Gov. Cuomo issues a letter of resignation, the NY assembly will instigate impeachment proceedings against him as early as Monday. Should he be removed, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul would replace him and become New York’s first female governor.
Stay tuned…
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CNBC:
A top aide to embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned Sunday, saying in a statement that the last two years have been “emotionally and mentally trying.”
Melissa DeRosa resigned as secretary to the governor as Cuomo faces calls to step down after New York’s attorney general released a report less than a week ago alleging that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and violated state and federal laws.