Several political personalities, including U.S. President Joe Biden, had asked Governor Andrew Cuomo of the Democratic Party to leave office.
Governor Andrew Cuomo resigns, accused of sexual harassment
Andrew Cuomo, governor of the state of New York, announced his resignation on Tuesday, August 10.
He is accused of sexual harassment by several women.
Andrew Cuomo said, “Given the circumstances, the best way to help him is to step back,” before offering his “profound apologies” to the women who have been “offended” by his actions.
The 63-year-old New York governor, in office since 2011 and re-elected in 2014 and 2018, was first implicated last February. Since then, testimonies from former employees of his administration or advisers have multiplied. In March, he had already rejected calls for his resignation.
But since the overwhelming results of an investigation requested by Letitia James, the New York state prosecutor, published a week ago, the situation has become more complicated for Andrew Cuomo.
In fact, the report accuses him of sexually harassing eleven women and violating federal and state laws.
Joe Biden , the president of the United States, immediately called on him to resign.
Among the women named in the report, an aide filed a complaint last week, paving the way for legal action against the governor.
Andrew Cuomo’s resignation to take effect in 14 days
Andrew Cuomo, defended himself on Tuesday, August 10, explaining that “the most serious allegations have no credible basis in the report. And there is a difference between allegations of misconduct and concluding that it is sexual harassment.” However, he added that “that doesn’t mean that eleven women were not offended.
They are. And for that, I deeply apologize.”
The governor said his resignation would take effect in 14 days and paid tribute to Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, “intelligent and competent,” who will replace him immediately and become the first female governor of the State of New York.
