- Thirteen prominent New York congressional Democrats called on Gov.
Andrew Cuomo to step down. - Progressives like
AOC joined establishment figures like Chuck Schumer to demand Cuomo's resignation. - The Democratic governor has been engulfed in a firestorm of
sexual misconduct allegations.
Thirteen powerful Democratic congressional representatives from New York released statements on Friday calling for the state's Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo, to resign amid a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations.
Here are the lawmakers who demanded Cuomo's resignation on Friday:
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Rep. Jamaal Bowman
- Rep.
Jerry Nadler - Rep. Hakeem Jeffries
- Rep. Carolyn Maloney
- Rep. Sean Maloney
- Rep. Mondaire Jones
- Rep. Yvette Clarke
- Rep. Nydia Velazquez
- Rep. Adriano Espaillat
- Rep. Grace Meng
Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice previously called for Cuomo's resignation, saying in a March 1 tweet that "the time has come" for him to step down.
"This week, the second sexual assault allegation and the sixth harassment allegation was leveled against Governor Cuomo," Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman said in a joint statement Friday. "The fact that this latest report was so recent is alarming, and it raises concerns about the present safety and well-being of the administration's staff. These allegations have all been consistent and highly-detailed and there are also credible media reports substantiating their accounts."
"Unfortunately, the Governor is not only facing the accusation that he engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment and assault," the statement continued. "There is also the extensive report from the Attorney General that found the Cuomo administration hid data on COVID-19 nursing home deaths from both the public and the state legislature."
On Thursday, 59 New York state lawmakers released a joint letter demanding Cuomo's resignation. The letter came on the heels of a sexual misconduct allegation from a sixth accuser, who reportedly told her supervisor that the governor "aggressively groped her in a sexually charged manner." The accuser is currently a staffer in Cuomo's office, according to the Albany Times Union, who first reported on her account.
The woman's allegation was referred to the Albany police, which is now investigating the matter, The New York Times reported. A spokesman for the police told The Times that the incident may rise "to the level of a crime."
Impeachment is emerging as a possibility for the governor, with New York's process closely mirroring that of the US Congress. If half of the Assembly and two-thirds of the Senate vote against him, Cuomo would be removed from office.
However, one key difference between New York's impeachment proceedings and Congress's is that Cuomo would have to step aside during the trial as an acting governor takes his place. That would be Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who would also become governor if Cuomo resigns.
Senate Democrats from Long Island came out with a statement on Friday asking Cuomo to allow Hochul to serve as acting governor until New York Attorney General Tish James' investigation into the allegations is complete.
Cuomo has refused to resign, and insists he "never touched anyone inappropriately."