NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A defiant Gov. Andrew Cuomo again said he will not resign as several Democratic members of the New York congressional delegation joined their colleagues in Albany in calling on the governor to step down over twin scandals involving sexual harassment allegations and COVID-19 nursing home deaths.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Nydia Velázquez, Mondaire Jones, Yvette Clarke, Jerry Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Grace Meng, Adriano Espaillat and Jamaal Bowman were among more than a dozen Congress members to release statements Friday calling on the governor to resign or step aside.
Long Island Rep. Kathleen Rice was the first Democratic member of Congress to call for Cuomo's resignation.
"The time has come, the governor must resign," Rice tweeted last week.
Nadler said the governor has lost confidence of the people of New York.
"The repeated accusations against the Governor, and the manner in which he has responded to them, have made it impossible for him to continue to govern at this point," his statement read in part.
"After two accounts of sexual assault, four accounts of harassment, the Attorney General's investigation finding the Governor's admin hid nursing home data from the legislature and public, we agree with the 55+ members of the New York State legislature that the Governor must resign,'' Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.
Hours later, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand issued a joint statement saying, “Confronting and overcoming the Covid crisis requires sure and steady leadership. We commend the brave actions of the individuals who have come forward with serious allegations of abuse and misconduct. Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign.”
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries also in a statement called the allegations "serious and deeply disturbing."
"Every woman who has come forward must be treated with dignity and respect throughout the entirety of this process," Jeffries said. "The New York State Attorney General's office has retained two high-powered and well-respected law firms who are looking into the allegations that have bravely been asserted. It is my expectation that the Attorney General investigation will be thorough, expeditious and transparent. The Assembly Majority also made the right decision to open an impeachment investigation, which could ultimately lead to the Governor's removal from office. Under these extraordinary circumstances, the Governor must seriously consider whether he can continue to effectively lead the state. No one is above the law."
Mayor Bill de Blasio for the first time Friday bluntly stated that the governor should resign. Previously, he has said Cuomo "can no longer serve as governor."
"Unfortunately what we're seeing here is a pattern of cover up, and a pattern of lies, it is unacceptable. The governor must resign, he can no longer do the job," de Blasio said. "He just can't do the job any longer. He's lost the faith of his fellow leaders around the state and I think he's increasingly losing the faith of the people."
Meanwhile, Long Island's five-member Senate majority has asked the governor not to resign, but to step aside.
Sen. Todd Kaminsky said in this pandemic year, New Yorkers in need must be the focus.
"We need to focus on helping them out, getting this budget right and getting people vaccinated and that is going to require somebody in the executive mansion who is going to lead the state clear-eyed and full time and the only person who can do that right now is the lieutenant governor," Kaminsky said.
At least 121 members of the state Assembly and Senate have said publicly they believe Cuomo can no longer govern and should quit office now, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
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Cuomo doesn't want to let the allegations be a distraction and said he won't argue them in the press. He also has a message for the growing list of political opponents and allies calling for his resignation.
"Politicians who don't know a single fact, but yet form a conclusion and an opinion are, in my opinion, reckless and dangerous," he said.
"The people of New York should not have confidence in a politician who takes a position without knowing any facts or substance. That, my friends, is politics at its worst," he added. “Politicians take positions for all sorts of reasons, including political expediency and bowing to pressure. But, people know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture and the truth."
The governor again insisted that he will not resign.
"I made a promise to the people of this state. I have a job to do," Cuomo said. "I'm going to avoid distractions and I'm going to focus on my job. I have to get a budget done, I have to get vaccinations done, I have to rebuild the state."
On Thursday, state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie authorized the Assembly Judiciary Committee to launch an impeachment investigation with the authority to interview witnesses, subpoena documents and evaluate evidence.
That is in addition to a separate investigation being coordinated by the state attorney general's office.
"I’m going to cooperate and wait for the reviews so we can actually have the facts, and then we can have an intelligent conversation," Cuomo said.
At least six women have come forward to accuse the governor of sexual harassment or misconduct and inappropriate behavior.
In the most serious allegation, a female aide told the Times Union of Albany that the governor had reached under her shirt and fondled her after summoning her to his official residence.
A lawyer for the governor said Thursday that she reported the allegation to police after the woman involved declined to do so herself.
Cuomo has denied inappropriately touching anyone, but said he is sorry if he made anyone uncomfortable and didn't intend to do so.
“As I have said before, and I firmly believe and as my administration has always firmly represented: Women have a right to come forward and be heard and I encourage that, fully, But, I also want to be clear – that is still a question of the truth. I did not do what has been alleged, period," Cuomo said. "I won’t speculate about people’s possible motives. But, I can tell you as a former attorney general, who has gone through this situation many times, there are often many motivations for making an allegation. And that is what you need to know the facts before you make a decision. There are now two reviews underway. No one wants them to happen more quickly, and more thoroughly than I do. Let them do it.”
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