New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced he will resign effective in 14 days, amid sexual harassment allegations.
Cuomo made the announcement just after noon Tuesday after being accused of the sexual harassment of at least 11 women, The Associated Press reported.
Breaking News: Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said he is resigning, ending a decade-long run in disgrace after the state attorney general’s office found he had sexually harassed nearly a dozen women. https://t.co/QF4IdgLhZV
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 10, 2021
Cuomo, who has been governor of New York for three terms, made the decision to resign as calls grew in the state legislature to remove him by impeachment, according to the AP.
The New York Times reported that it is unclear if the New York State Assembly will proceed with impeachment.
Investigators said Cuomo kissed women, groped them or touched them inappropriately, made remarks about their appearance and sex lives, and created a work environment “rife with fear and intimidation,” the AP reported.
Cuomo said the investigation was politically motivated but that he is “stepping aside” because he would “never want to be unhelpful in any way,” CNN reported.
During his announcement, Cuomo said, “I’m a New Yorker, born and bred. I’m a fighter and my instinct is to fight through this controversy because I truly believe it is politically motivated. I believe it is unfair and it is untruthful and I believe it demonizes behavior that is unsustainable for society,” CNN reported.
Cuomo said that he has been “too familiar with people” and apologized to the women he “truly offended,” CNN reported.
Watch his entire announcement below or here:
NBC News reported that Cuomo’s office did not alert President Joe Biden’s administration of his plan to resign. Officials said the president and governor had not spoken since the allegations came to light.
Senior WH official tells me Gov. Cuomo did NOT provide any advance notice to the WH about his plan to resign. Officials have said the president had not talked to the governor since the NYAG report came out.
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) August 10, 2021
While the White House and Cuomo did not speak, fellow Democrats Biden, along with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had called for the governor to resign, CNN reported.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released a statement on Cuomo’s resignation, USA Today reported.
NEW: Statement from NY AG Letitia James, whose 165-page report on Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment ultimately led to his resignation. pic.twitter.com/gusebeYC6T
— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) August 10, 2021
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Cuomo’s resignation was “for the good of all New York” in a tweet Tuesday afternoon.
Make no mistake, this is the result of survivors bravely telling their stories. It was past time for Andrew Cuomo to resign and it’s for the good of all New York.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 10, 2021
De Blasio is on vacation in Massachusetts and had called for Cuomo to resign before Tuesday. He has also not ruled out his own run for governor, the Times reported.
Mariann Wang, a lawyer representing Alyssa McGrath and Virginia Limmiatis, two of Cuomo’s accusers, said, “My clients feel both vindicated and relieved that Cuomo will no longer be in a position of power over anyone,” the Times reported.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who hails from the Buffalo area, will become the state’s 57th governor in about two weeks. She will be the first woman to be governor of New York.
>>Related: Cuomo resignation: Who is Kathy Hochul, the woman who will succeed Cuomo
Cuomo had not announced if he was running for re-election as of late last month, according to WPIX. Had Cuomo remained in office through his third term, he would have had the office for the same amount of time his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo did, The New York Times reported.
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