NY governor out amid sex harassment scandal

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday after facing an onslaught of sexual harassment allegations from 11 women. It was a stunning fall from power for a once widely popular politician.

Cuomo, 63, a three-term Democrat in office since 2011, held a 20-minute televised news conference on Tuesday, saying he had not meant any disrespect toward any of the women who had come forward to accuse him.

Instead, he blamed "politically motivated" attacks as the reason for the allegations against him, adding that his instinct was "to fight" but that he did not want to see a drawn-out investigation paralyze state government and cost taxpayers millions of dollars amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The New York state Assembly in Albany had been ready to move forward with discussions on impeachment.

"I think, given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to government, and therefore that's what I'll do," Cuomo said.

Cuomo's resignation will take effect in two weeks. His deputy, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, 62, a mother of two from Buffalo, will succeed him, becoming the first woman governor of the Empire State. Hochul had served as a member of Congress, representing the Buffalo area, from 2011 to 2013.

Following Cuomo's resignation, Hochul tweeted: "I agree with Governor Cuomo's decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers. As someone who has served at all levels of government and is next in the line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State's 57th Governor."

Cuomo's resignation came just a week after New York Attorney General Letitia James presented a 165-page report with detailed sexual harassment allegations against him by 11 women who were former and current employees, including a state trooper. The report also alleged that he and his staff retaliated against at least one woman who had accused him of sexual misconduct.

The women had alleged that in separate incidents, Cuomo groped their breasts, buttocks, made sexually charged remarks, asked about their sex lives and created a hostile workplace that was "intimidating".

The non-criminal investigation took five months to complete and was conducted by two outside lawyers for impartiality. James said that the report showed that, "Governor Cuomo sexually harassed current and former state employees in violation of federal and state laws."

He could now face criminal charges over the sexual assault allegations.

One of his accusers, Brittany Commisso, this week recounted that Cuomo once "reached under her blouse and grabbed her breast". She told CBS This Morning, "What he did to me was a crime. … He broke the law."

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio praised Cuomo's accusers for their bravery.

He said in a statement: "Make no mistake, this is the result of survivors bravely telling their stories."

Cuomo, whose father, Mario, also was elected to three terms as New York governor, from 1983 to 1994, used his resignation speech to address his daughters.

He said: "I want them to know from the bottom of my heart: I never did, and I never would, intentionally disrespect a woman or treat a woman differently than I would want them treated. Your dad made mistakes. And he apologized. And he learned from it. And that's what life is all about."

The allegations against Cuomo first surfaced in December 2020 as the state battled the coronavirus pandemic.

Around the same time, it also emerged that his staff may have covered up thousands of deaths of elderly people in nursing homes amid the pandemic. A March 2020 letter from the state Health Department directed the care facilities to accept patients who had the coronavirus if they were medically stable.

Cuomo has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or inappropriate behavior with women.

He had first put the accusations down to a "generational" difference. And he mentioned his cultural Italian heritage in explaining why he was tactile and would kiss people on the cheek or hug employees to put them at ease.

In his resignation speech on Tuesday, he said, "In my mind, I've never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn't realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn."

He apologized for "offending" the 11 women.

Following the release of the Aug 3 report, Cuomo swiftly lost the support of his party's most powerful Democrats.

"I think he should resign," US President Joe Biden told reporters last week.

Upon Cuomo's resignation, Biden told reporters at the White House, "I respect the governor's decision, and I respect the decision he made."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New York's US senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand also had called for him to step down.

Cuomo gained national and international praise for his leadership and reassuring demeanor at briefings during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Throughout his tenure, Cuomo was a champion of the #metoo movement and Time's Up, which aimed to empower women to speak up on sexual harassment and assault.

Time's Up co-chair Roberta Kaplan stepped down from the board after being named in James' report for counseling Cuomo amid the harassment allegations.

Cuomo's resignation is the second time in 13 years that a New York governor has resigned amid a scandal. Eliot Spitzer quit in 2008 over his patronizing of prostitutes.