The investigations against Governor Andrew Cuomo finally came to a head this past Monday as the Attorney General’s independent investigation came forward with substantial evidence against the Governor. Eleven women recounted their interactions with Cuomo, and 170 additional testimonies were taken to corroborate them.
The investigation shows evidence that Cuomo broke numerous state and federal laws by engaging in unsanctimonious workplace behavior. According to the report, “the Governor sexually harassed a number of current and former New York State employees by, among other things, engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching, as well as making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women.”
The report found that the conditions created by Cuomo aided in the creation and persistence of an atmosphere of “fear and intimidation” that allowed for rampant misconduct. Nine of these victims either are employees or were employed by New York State.
Attorney General Letitia James commended the courage that victims had while expressing “their truths.”
The calls from Democrats and Republicans alike from across the region to resign were swift, with Nassau County Executive Laura Curran (D) being one of the first to take to Twitter, stating that “The Attorney General’s findings are clear. The Governor must resign immediately.”
New York State Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs has joined the chorus calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign.
Jacobs has long been an ally of the Governor. He said he called Cuomo earlier on Wednesday to let him know he was about to call for his resignation.
“Our State and its citizens are better off having had Andrew Cuomo as our Governor,” Jacobs said in a statement. “It is my hope that the legacy of the progressive change he brought to our people and the renewal of infrastructure he brought to our State will outshine the darkness of this sorry episode. And so, it is with sadness and a measure of regret that I must ask the Governor to resign his office and allow the important work of the State — work that he did so much to advance — to continue.”
Jacobs, who also chairs the Nassau County party, was picked for the state post by Cuomo. He has frequently been the Governor’s loudest supporter in recent years and was widely viewed as more closely allied to Cuomo than nearly any of the other high-profile names that have broken with him in the past two days.
Assemblyman Doug Smith (R,C[1]Holbrook) stated that “I’m urging my colleagues to hold the governor accountable and remove him immediately.”
“We as New Yorkers need to send a clear message: the sexual harassment and abuse of employees by those in power, and the willful breach of state and federal law, cannot and must not be tolerated. We have to ensure that the message is clear, here and now, to ensure it does not happen again. I thank Attorney General Letitia James for her and her team’s work and dedication to the truth and justice that needed to be found.”
The Long Island Senate Delegation also released individual statements. The statements came from frequent critics and former supporters of Cuomo, alike.
Senator Alexis Weik said that “As the Governor has indicated he will not resign, it is up to the Assembly to determine if Articles of Impeachment are appropriate. If the Assembly acts, I stand ready to uphold my constitutional responsibilities in the Senate.”
“The reality is that this continuing cloud hanging over our State is impeding our ability to govern. It cannot be allowed to impede the much-needed work that must be done to recover from the ongoing COVID crisis,” said Senator Mario Mattera.
Mattera continued by writing that “The residents of our state need to know that their government will not allow any distractions to impede those efforts to rebuild our economy, help our businesses grow and create the jobs that our residents need.”
“Cuomo institutionalized widespread abuse within his administration and tried to silence his many victims, which enabled him to continue openly preying on those around him,” said local gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin (R,C-Shirley), not sparing the opportunity to go on the offensive.
With every statewide officeholder, and even the President of the United States joining the calls to resign, many pundits wonder how long he can last and what this means for the subsequent election. It remains to be seen what Cuomo will do if he chooses to stay in office and is not impeached. Many, like Mattera, are concerned with the ability to govern in a pandemic and what this means for the welfare of New Yorkers.
