New York Governor Andrew Cuomo just lost the support of two of the country’s most powerful Democrats: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The senators join a growing chorus of lawmakers advocating for Cuomo’s resignation amid allegations of sexual harassment.
“Addressing and overcoming the Covid crisis requires confident leadership. We commend the courageous actions of the individuals who have come forward with serious allegations of abuse and misconduct,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in a joint statement.
“Due to the multiple, credible allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the trust of his ruling partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign.”
Cuomo became an international celebrity for his association with the corona crisis but after allegations of mismanagement and a series of allegations of sexual harassment, he finds himself becoming isolated and losing support quickly.
Earlier Friday, the three-year-old governor remained defiant, denied the allegations against him and refused to resign. “I have not done what is claimed. Period,” said Cuomo in a telephone conversation with reporters. “I never harassed anyone, I never attacked anyone, I never abused anyone.”
“I am not going to resign. I am not elected by the politicians, I am elected by the people,” added Cuomo. “People know the difference between playing politics, bending to cancel culture and the truth.”
The backlash comes as the majority of New York House Democrats push for Cuomo’s resignation, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler.
“The repeated allegations against the governor and the way he has responded to them have made it impossible for him to continue to rule on this point,” Nadler said in a statement. Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of the people of New York. Governor Cuomo must resign. ‘
In a joint statement, Ocasio-Cortez and Congressman Jamaal Bowman cited the growing number of allegations against Cuomo, as well as the misleading messages of the COVID-19 deaths of nursing home residents, as reasons why the governor should resign.
“As members of the New York delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, we believe these women, we believe the reporting, we believe the Attorney General, and we believe the fifty-five members of the New York State legislature, including the Senate Majority Leader, who have concluded that Governor Cuomo can no longer lead effectively in the face of so many challenges, ”said Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman.
Representatives Nydia Velázquez, Adriano Espaillat, Grace Meng, Mondaire Jones, Carolyn Maloney, Yvette Clarke, Antonio Delgado, Sean Patrick Maloney, Brian Higgins, Ritchie Torres, Joe Morelle and Paul Tonko also called for his resignation.
Congressman Kathleen Rice was the first member of the New York delegation to call on Cuomo to resign on March 1.
New York Assembly speaker Carl Heastie approved a impeachment investigation in the allegations of misconduct he faces, and more than 55 state lawmakers said in a letter Thursday that they want the governor out.
“The budget, the fight against COVID-19 and the reboot of the economy all depend on clear and reliable leadership,” the letter said. “In light of the Governor’s admission of inappropriate behavior and the findings of modified data on deaths in the COVID-19 nursing home, he has lost the trust of the public and state legislature, rendering him ineffective at this time of most pressing emergency. “
Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.