NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – Supporters of Gov. Andrew Cuomo rallied outside his midtown Manhattan office on Saturday to back the embattled governor as he faces calls for his impeachment and the Albany sheriff investigates a criminal complaint against him.
The supporters chanted Cuomo’s name and held signs pleading with him not to resign. They said state Attorney General Letitia James' investigation, which concluded that he sexually harassed women, was completed too quickly.
“I think they’re out for him,” demonstrator Rachel Dowling said.
Supporters believe James has an agenda against the governor along with the women who’ve accused him.
“This call for impeachment in my opinion is based on politics and not facts,” Brenda Torres said. “It is a well-known fact many in Albany have a distain for the governor and would like to see him removed from office so they can work on their own political agenda.”
In a report on its probe into allegations against Cuomo, James' office said it took steps to conduct "a full, fair, and independent investigation."
Martha Flores-Vazquez said it looked like the accusers were lying.
“It was like not genuine is the word I’m using. It came from lawyers. It came from prepared writings,” she said.
Flores-Vazquez said she’s a sexual assault survivor and that the investigation should lead to more cultural sensitivity training in the workplace.
“There's a lot of dysfunctional people in office passing judgement right now,” Flores-Vazquez said. “I think training is important, learning from this is important.”
The protesters made clear that they had no ties to the governor.
The Albany County sheriff said Saturday that Cuomo could face misdemeanor charges if investigators substantiate a criminal complaint accusing him of groping an aide at the Executive Mansion last year.
The investigation comes as Cuomo faces renewed calls to step down after the civil probe overseen by AG James’s office concluded he sexually harassed 11 women and worked to retaliate against one of his accusers.
Cuomo has denied that he harassed or inappropriately touched anyone. He has said he did not intend to make anyone feel uncomfortable, saying instead he touched and kissed people to put them at ease and his actions were misunderstood because of generational or cultural differences.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related
Related
