New York Governor Cuomo resigns after sexual harassment findings By Reuters

By Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned on Tuesday following an inquiry that discovered he sexually harassed 11 girls, mounting authorized stress and calls for for his departure by President Joe Biden and others, a startling downfall for a person as soon as seen as a doable U.S. presidential contender.

Cuomo, a Democrat who had served since 2011 as governor of the fourth most-populous U.S. state, made the announcement after New York Legal professional Normal Letitia James on Aug. 3 launched the outcomes https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-ag-says-probe-found-gov-cuomo-sexually-harrassed-multiple-women-broke-2021-08-03 of a five-month unbiased investigation that concluded he had engaged in conduct that violated U.S. and state legal guidelines.

The investigation, detailed in a 168-page report https://ag.ny.gov/websites/default/recordsdata/2021.08.03_nyag_-_investigative_report.pdf, discovered that Cuomo groped, kissed or made suggestive feedback to girls together with present and former authorities employees – one a state trooper – and retaliated in opposition to at the very least one girl who accused him of sexual misconduct. Cuomo denied wrongdoing.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat from western New York, will take over as governor of the state of greater than 19 million individuals till the tip of Cuomo’s time period in December 2022 as outlined within the state’s structure, turning into the primary girl to carry the put up.

Cuomo’s resignation marks the second time in 13 years {that a} New York governor has stepped down in scandal, after Eliot Spitzer give up in 2008 over his patronage of prostitutes. Cuomo additionally grew to become the newest highly effective man taken down in recent times following the rise of the #MeToo social motion in opposition to sexual abuse and harassment that has shaken politics, Hollywood, the enterprise world and the office.

His resignation spared Cuomo from doable elimination from workplace by impeachment proceedings within the state legislature. An ongoing impeachment investigation had solely promised to accentuate.

Cuomo, 63, was elected to a few phrases as governor, as was his late father, Mario Cuomo. He beforehand served as U.S. Division of Housing and City Improvement secretary from 1997 to 2001 beneath former President Invoice Clinton.

Like his father, Andrew Cuomo by no means ran for president regardless of hypothesis about his doable nationwide ambitions. He gained nationwide prominence final 12 months early within the COVID-19 pandemic after delivering day by day information conferences as his state grew to become the U.S. epicenter of the general public well being disaster.

The civil investigation discovered that the actions of Cuomo and his senior advisers violated a number of state and federal legal guidelines, however James didn’t pursue legal expenses. Native prosecutors are free to take action, which means Cuomo nonetheless may face authorized jeopardy.

Native prosecutors in Manhattan, Nassau County, Albany County and Westchester County stated after the report’s launch that they’re wanting into the matter and have requested proof from the unbiased inquiry. New York Metropolis’s mayor stated Cuomo ought to face legal expenses.

Cuomo had for months denied mounting allegations of sexual harassment – and renewed these denials after the investigative report was issued. However what was left of his political assist crumbled after the findings have been made public. Hours later, Biden – a good friend of the governor for years – instructed reporters on the White Home https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-calls-cuomo-findings-abhorrent-says-biden-will-address-later-2021-08-03: “I believe he ought to resign.”

Different distinguished Democrats together with the state’s two U.S. senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Home of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi additionally lined up in calling on the occasion’s one-time star to resign.

Investigators https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-york-cuomo-lawyers/former-top-us-prosecutor-in-new-york-took-lead-on-cuomo-probe-idUSKBN2F42JA concluded that Cuomo and his aides created a “poisonous” and “hostile” office in an workplace gripped by bullying, worry and intimidation. The complaints about sexual harassment emerged after broader criticism by Democratic politicians in New York that Cuomo ruled by intimidation.

Cuomo final 12 months seemed to be a politician in ascent https://www.reuters.com/world/us/comforter-in-chief-persona-non-grata-cuomos-stunning-fall-2021-08-03, presenting himself as an authoritative determine in televised information conferences on the pandemic. His picture was burnished by tv interviews along with his youthful brother, CNN host Chris Cuomo.

Shortly after James, a fellow Democrat, detailed the findings, Cuomo, the divorced father of three grownup daughters, issued a video assertion https://www.governor.ny.gov/information/video-audio-rush-transcript-governor-cuomo-responds-independent-reviewer-report wherein he stated, “I by no means touched anybody inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.”

“That’s simply not who I’m,” Cuomo stated within the video, as he argued that what girls described as sexual advances have been inoffensive gestures and feedback impressed by a pure bodily heat arising from the tradition wherein he was raised. Within the video, he indicated he had no plans to resign, mentioning particularly the battle in opposition to the pandemic.

A Marist Ballot http://maristpoll.marist.edu/marist-poll-results-analysis-governor-andrew-cuomo/#sthash.Zx6wYGys.8sJphJMv.dpbs launched a day after the report was issued confirmed that 59% of New Yorkers wished Cuomo to resign, in comparison with 32% who stated he ought to serve out his time period and 9% who have been uncertain. Amongst Democrats, nonetheless, solely 52% favored resignation.