New York Governor Andrew Cuomo listens to speakers at a vaccination site in New York on March 8, 2021.
SETH LITTLE | AFP | Getty Images
A majority of New York Congressional Democrats, including MP Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, called for Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign almost simultaneously on Friday.
“The repeated allegations against the governor and the way in which he reacted to them made it impossible for him to continue to govern at this point,” Nadler said in a statement on Twitter.
“Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of the people in New York. Governor Cuomo must resign,” said Nadler.
The embattled Democratic governor has been asked to resign by state-level politicians within his own party over a growing list of allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct.
Cuomo has repeatedly vowed not to step down, urging people to suspend the verdict on the numerous allegations against him pending an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
But Democrats and Republicans in the Empire State have only increased the pressure on Cuomo, most recently by taking steps towards an impeachment probe.
Cuomo has suggested that the attacks are politically motivated. Several New York Democrats are currently considering bidding for Cuomo’s job as his political future seems increasingly dubious.
But a flurry of Congressional Democrats joined the growing chorus on Friday morning against Cuomo, who is under fire not only for the harassment allegations but also for his government’s handling of Covid in nursing homes.
“As members of the New York delegation to the US 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 legislature, including the Senate majority leaders, who concluded that governor Cuomo can no longer lead effectively in the face of so many challenges, “said MEPs Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman in a joint statement.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) (L) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
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“As civil servants, we must earn the trust and respect of those we represent. There is only one way the governor can restore accountability and confidence in his office: he must step down,” the Rep Nydia Velazquez, DN. YY
House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, DN.Y., said in her own statement: “We have come a long way, but now the time has come to finally ensure that the courage of this generation takes the harassment away ended forever. “
In particular, the two Democratic Senators of New York have so far not been ready to call on Cuomo to resign.
On Thursday Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., described the latest allegation against Cuomo as “nausea” but stopped calling for the governor to step down.
Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, DN.Y., did not immediately respond to House Democrats’ requests for comments on developments. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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