Samuel Case, FISM News
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has so far resisted calls to resign, following findings from the New York Attorney General that he had sexually harassed multiple subordinates, and retaliated against those who complained.
Following the AG’s findings Cuomo claimed he had not acted inappropriately. “I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo said in the video statement. “I am 63 years old. I’ve lived my entire adult life in public view. That is just not who I am. And that’s not who I have ever been,” the governor said in a video statement.
Governor Cuomo Responds to Independent Reviewer Report: https://t.co/sgPuPEDXRU
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 3, 2021
Meanwhile, a New York State Assembly impeachment investigation into Cuomo’s misconduct is coming to a close, with the Assembly asking the governor’s lawyers to send in evidence by the end of next week. According to the New York Post, more than half of New York’s Assembly have said they are prepared to take measures to remove the governor if he does not willingly step down.
Public opinion of the governor is also tanking. A Marris Poll shows 59% of New Yorkers think Cuomo should resign including 52% of Democrats. Republicans are significantly more likely to condemn Cuomo, with 77% saying he should step down.
President Biden has also called on the governor to step down, reiterating his statement from earlier in the year that Cuomo should resign if an investigation found him guilty of sexual misconduct.
BREAKING: Pres. Biden calls on New York Gov. Cuomo to resign from office: "I think he should resign." pic.twitter.com/E2UJmrZdkZ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 3, 2021
Though Cuomo no longer has the President’s support, the governor has found an unlikely ally in former New York City Mayor and Trump post-election attorney Rudy Giuliani. Following the State AG’s announcement, Giuliani took to Twitter saying, “The truth of the charges against Cuomo should be determined by a trial of an impeachment and/or an indictment, not by the media.”