New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday directly called for Andrew Cuomo 's immediate resignation in light of a 'disgust...
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday directly called for Andrew Cuomo's immediate resignation in light of a 'disgusting' new allegation leveled against the scandal-scarred governor.
A sixth woman came forward on Tuesday to accuse Cuomo, 63, of sexual misconduct. The Cuomo aide, whose identity has not yet been made public, claims the governor called her to his Executive Mansion last year, where he reached under her blouse and fondled her.
When quizzed during a daily press briefing Thursday whether, considering the latest allegation, he was now ready to publicly call for Cuomo's resignation, de Blasio let out an exasperated sigh, before adding: 'Yeah'.
Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Hizzoner continued: 'The latest report, and the fact that we can talk about how many people have been come forward with accusations. It’s not one, it’s not two, it’s not three, it’s not four, it’s not five – it’s six women who have come forward.
'It’s deeply troubling, the specific allegation that the governor called an employee of his - someone who he had power over - he called them to a place and then sexually assaulted her is absolutely unacceptable.
'It's is disgusting to me,' de Blasio continued. 'He can no longer serve as governor. It's as simple as that.'
De Blasio's demands followed in the wake of a group of 59 Democratic state legislators signing and publishing a letter similarly demanding Cuomo immediately step down earlier this morning.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday directly called for Andrew Cuomo's resignation for the first time
Justifying his stance Thursday, de Blasio continued that over the last few weeks, 'so many troubling things' have emerged about Cuomo, with not only five other women accusing him of sexual harassment or misconduct, but also the controversy surrounding the nursing home scandal and alleged cover-up of death totals.
'We still don't have the truth about that,' he said of nursing home deaths. 'And their families need and deserve to know the truth.
'We know one thing: We know there was a purposeful cover-up and that alone is unacceptable and disqualifying.
'These six women have come forward with these powerful and painful stories – and particularly this most recent report is just disqualifying. He just can’t serve as governor anymore,' de Blasio concluded.
His comments Thursday mark the first time de Blasio has publicly called for Cuomo to resign over the allegations, having continuously skirted the question during other recent briefings.
Before Cuomo's sixth accuser came forward, de Blasio did allude to the idea he believed the governor should step down, saying Monday he thought 'more information' would come out that would make it harder for him to stay in office.
'I’ll say it my own way,' he said. 'I just don’t see how he can govern effectively when fewer and fewer people believe him. I think there’s more information that’s going to come out that makes it harder and harder.'
Cuomo, meanwhile, has denied the allegations and has insisted there is 'no way' he will be resigning.
'I have never done anything like this,' he said of his sixth accuser's claims. 'The details of this report are gut-wrenching. I am not going to speak to the specifics of this or any other allegation given the ongoing review, but I am confident in the result of the attorney general’s report.'
However, four other former aides and another woman have also accused Cuomo of sexual harassment, with the allegations ranging from making inappropriate comments, to making unwanted physical contact.
The sixth accuser, who has not been named, said her incident occurred late last year at the Executive Mansion in Albany (pictured)
Joining de Blasio's calls Thursday are 59 Democratic lawmakers, who all signed a letter similarly demanding his immediate resignation.
The letter released by the group comes as Cuomo's grip on power in the state seems increasingly tenuous. The top Democrat in the state Assembly, Speaker Carl Heastie, said he will meet with members in conference today on 'potential paths forward' in light of mounting allegations.
Nineteen senators and 40 Assembly members said in the letter that it was time for Cuomo to go.
'In light of the Governor´s admission of inappropriate behavior and the findings of altered data on nursing home COVID-19 deaths he has lost the confidence of the public and the state legislature, rendering him ineffective in this time of most urgent need,' the letter said. 'It is time for Governor Cuomo to resign.'
The number of signatories comprise nearly 40 percent of the Democratic Party's total membership in the Assembly and Senate, where it holds firm majorities.
Of the 40 signers who serve in the Assembly, if they were all to join forces with the 43 Republicans in the Assembly, they would have seven more votes than the minimum of 76 required to impeach Cuomo.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) during a radio interview called the new claim against Cuomo 'nauseating,' but did not call for the governor to step down.
Cuomo has denied the allegations and has insisted there is 'no way' he will be resigning
Cuomo's sixth accuser anonymously came forward with her allegations Tuesday.
The woman said she was summoned by the governor to the Executive Mansion in Albany, last year after Cuomo told her he needed help with his cellphone.
With the pair alone on the second floor in his personal residence, Cuomo allegedly closed the door, reached under her shirt and fondled her.
The woman, described as being 'much younger' than Cuomo, allegedly told him to stop.
The three-term New York governor faces harassment allegations from five other women, including former aide Charlotte Bennett, 25.
Bennett's attorney, Debra Katz, said in a statement released Wednesday evening that the latest allegations are 'eerily similar' to Bennett's own story.
'The Governor's sexual harassment, which Charlotte Bennett reported, was buried by his aides and never properly investigated,' Katz's statement said. 'Because of their enablement, another young woman was left in harm's way.'
Bennett has said she was summoned to the Capitol on a weekend and left alone with Cuomo, who asked her for help with his cellphone. She has said Cuomo asked about her sex life and propositioned her.
Similarly to Bennett, the sixth accuser also indicated that Cuomo had touched her and made flirtatious comments on multiple occasions.
'That the governor does not deny touching people, but insists he never did it inappropriately, shows he is committed to gaslighting victims and perpetuating these lies. This is exactly how abusers operate,' Katz said.
Ana Liss, 35, (pictured left) previously served as Cuomo's policy and operations aide between 2013 and 2015 but claims he subjected her to sexual misconduct during her time in his administration. Karen Hinton (right) claims the governor summoned her to his 'dimly lit' hotel room and embraced her after a work event in 2000 before she managed to escape
Charlotte Bennett (above), 25, worked as an aide for Cuomo. She claims he sexually harassed her and left her 'terrified'
Anna Ruch, 33, (left) claimed Cuomo behaved inappropriately at a Manhattan wedding in September 2019. Lindsey Boylan, 36, (right) claims Cuomo commented on her appearance inappropriately, kissed her without her consent and went out of his way to touch her on her lower back, arms and leg
According to the Times Union, the latest allegations came to light as Cuomo staffers watched the governor's March 3 press conference, his first after initial sexual harassment claims made in late February.
In it, he denied ever touching a woman inappropriately. The aide subsequently became emotional, and told a female supervisor who approached her about her encounters with the governor. At least one supervisor reported the allegation to an attorney in the governor's office Monday, the newspaper reported.
Prior to Wednesday's report, the allegations against Cuomo include a combination of claims that he made the workplace an uncomfortable place for young women, ranging from flirtatious comments to a nonconsensual kiss.
At least four accusers - Bennett, Lindsey Boylan, Anna Liss and Karen Hinton - worked for the governor in Albany or during his time in President Bill Clinton's Cabinet.
Another, Anna Ruch, told The New York Times that she met Cuomo at a friend's wedding where he touched her face and asked to kiss her.
Cuomo has denied inappropriately touching anyone, but said he is sorry if he made anyone uncomfortable and didn't intend to do so.
Anna Ruch claimed Cuomo put his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her just moments after they met at a September 2019 wedding in Manhattan. After seeing the above photo, dozens on Twitter called Cuomo a 'Sexual Frankenstein'
State Attorney General Letitia James has put together an investigative team to probe Cuomo's workplace conduct.
The governor has called on lawmakers and the public to await the results of that investigation.
Federal investigators are also scrutinizing how his administration handled data concerning COVID-19 outbreaks at nursing homes.
Cuomo has been under fire for weeks, beginning with revelations that his administration withheld details from the public about the pandemic's death toll among residents in state nursing homes.
Scrutiny of the governor - who received accolades during the height of the coronavirus pandemic for leadership that yielded a book deal and calls for a national political career - intensified when former adviser Boylan, 36, reiterated harassment claims made in December, fleshing them out in a late February blog post.
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