Saturday March 13th 2021
New York governor under pressure
Top Democrats are calling for Cuomo's resignation
The pressure on Andrew Cuomo is growing: after numerous allegations of harassment, several party colleagues are calling on the governor of New York to resign. But so far the 63-year-old has refused to leave office prematurely.
After several women have been harassed against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the top Democrat in the US Senate is now calling on his party colleague to resign. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand – next to Schumer the second representative of New York in the Senate – announced in Washington: "Due to the multiple, credible allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the trust of his government partners and the people of New York Governor Cuomo should resign. " Schumer and Gillibrand praised the courage of the women who made the allegations public.
Previously, several New York-based Democrats in the US House of Representatives – the second chamber of Congress next to the Senate – had called for Cuomo's resignation. Prominent MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Cuomo for being unable to effectively lead New York State given the many credible allegations. House Justice Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said Cuomo has lost the confidence of the New York people and must resign.
Cuomo ruled out an early resignation on Friday in a press conference called at short notice. "I was elected by the people of the state. I was not elected by politicians. I will not resign on charges."
Several women accuse the 63-year-old of harassment, especially inappropriate behavior and verbal harassment. Cuomo apologized – but also repeatedly emphasized that he had never touched anyone inappropriately. He promised to fully cooperate with an investigation initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
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