New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigning over sexual harassment – Austin Daily Herald
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NEW YORK (AP) – Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday over a spate of sexual harassment allegations, a year after speaking nationwide for his detailed daily briefings and guidance during some of the darkest days of COVID. fell out of favor -19 pandemic.
In a televised address, the 63-year-old Democrat strongly denied deliberately showing any disrespect for women, but said the fight against what he called what he called “politically motivated” attack on him would expose the state to months of turmoil being.”
“The best way to help now is to step aside and let the government rule again,” said Cuomo.
The governor’s third term decision, which will come into effect in two weeks, was heralded as an impetus in the legislature to remove him by impeachment, and after almost the entire Democratic establishment turned against him, President Joe Biden joined in to those who asked him to resign.
The move came a week after the New York attorney general released the results of an investigation that found Cuomo sexually molested at least 11 women.
Investigators said he exposed women to unwanted kisses; groped or otherwise inappropriately touched her breasts or buttocks; made suggestive remarks about her appearance and sex life; and created a work environment “full of fear and intimidation”.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a 62-year-old Democrat and former Congresswoman from the Buffalo area, becomes the state’s 57th governor and the first woman to hold office.
“I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to resign. It’s the right thing to do and in the best interests of New Yorkers, ”Hochul tweeted.
The #MeToo-era scandal ended not just a career, it ended a dynasty: Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, was governor and the younger in the 1980s and 90s
Cuomo was mentioned many times as a potential presidential candidate, a position his father famously considered. While the scandal was budding, Cuomo planned to run for re-election in 2022.
Cuomo could still face criminal charges as a number of prosecutors across the state are investigating him. At least one of his accusers has filed a criminal complaint against him.
The string of allegations that sealed the governor’s overthrow began in news reports last December and lasted for months.
As the scandal grew, Cuomo called some of the allegations fabricated and vigorously denied touching anyone inappropriately. But he did admit that some aides were uncomfortable with comments he intended to be playful and apologized for some of his behavior.
He presented some of the encounters as misunderstandings that can be traced back to “generational or cultural” differences, which partly points to his upbringing in a loving Italian-American family.
When a defiant Cuomo stayed in office, state lawmakers opened an impeachment investigation and his allies abandoned him – not only because of the allegations but also because of the discovery that his government had hidden thousands of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home patients.
The harassment investigation ordered by the Attorney General and conducted by two outside lawyers confirmed the women’s accounts and added sensational new ones. Investigators also said the governor’s staff took revenge on one of his accusers by leaking confidential personnel files on them.
As governor, Cuomo described himself as an example of a “progressive democrat” getting things done: since taking office in 2011, he helped enforce laws to legalize gay marriage, began raising the minimum wage to $ 15 and extending paid family vacations . He also supported major infrastructure projects, including building a new bridge over the Hudson River, which he named after his father.
At the same time, the behavior that got him into trouble occurred, he campaigned publicly for the #MeToo movement and surrounded himself with women’s rights activists. He signed a law that provided new safeguards against sexual harassment and extended the statute of limitations in rape cases.
Its national popularity soared in the harrowing spring of 2020 as New York became the epicenter of the country’s coronavirus outbreak.
His stubborn but compassionate response made television immersive well beyond New York City, and his stern warnings to people to stay home and wear masks were in sharp contrast to President Donald Trump’s departure from the virus. His briefings won an international Emmy Award and he wrote a book on leadership in crisis.
But even those accomplishments were soon tarnished when it was revealed that the official nursing home death census had excluded many patients who had been hospitalized before they died. A Cuomo adviser admitted that the administration feared that Trump’s White House would “use the real numbers against us”.
In addition, Cuomo’s government has come under heavy criticism for forcing nursing homes to take in patients who are recovering from the virus.
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the state’s handling of data on deaths in nursing homes. Additionally, the attorney general is investigating whether Cuomo violated the law by using his staff to write and promote his book, which was said to have made him more than $ 5 million.
The governor had also come under increasing criticism for his harsh and sometimes vengeful dealings with politicians and his own staff, with former staff telling stories of a brutal work environment.
Cuomo has been divorced from Kennedy family writer and activist Kerry Kennedy since 2005, and was dating TV lifestyle personality Sandra Lee until 2019. He has three grown daughters.
During his resignation speech he addressed his daughters directly and said: “I want them to know from the bottom of my heart: I have never and would never deliberately disregard a woman or treat a woman differently than I wanted.” Your father made mistakes. And he apologized. And he learned from it. And that’s what life is about. “
Cuomo gained political experience early on as his father’s hardened and often ruthless campaign manager and became New York Attorney General and Secretary of Housing under President Bill Clinton before being elected governor in 2010.
New York has seen a number of high-profile political figures fall out of favor in the past few years.
Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008 in a prostitution scandal. Rep. Anthony Weiner went to jail for sexting a 15-year-old girl. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned in 2018 after four women accused him of abuse. And the two top legislative leaders have been convicted of corruption.
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