Who will replace Andrew Cuomo? NYC gov resigns amidst allegations of sexual harassment
'Disgraced' New York governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned from his post amidst multiple sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo's resignation was announced on Tuesday, August 10. A damning report by Attorney General Letitia James proved that he sexually harassed 11 women. Andrew Cuomo, however, has always asserted his innocence.
Announcing his resignation, Cuomo said, "New York tough means New York loving. And I love New York. And I love you. And everything I have ever done has been motivated by that love." He added, "The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let the government get back to governing. And therefore, that's what I'll do." Andrew Cuomo's resignation will take effect in 14 days.
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After Attorney General Letitia James' report on Cuomo became public, a number of Democratic lawmakers including President Biden called on Andrew Cuomo to resign. Addressing the issue while answering questions from a journalist last week, Biden said, "Look, I’m not going to flyspeck this. I’m sure there are some embraces that were totally innocent. But apparently, the attorney general decided there were things that weren’t." He added, "I think he should resign." Biden was joined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in demanding Cuomo's resignation, as she said, "As always, I commend the women who came forward to speak their truth. Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign."
Andrew Cuomo's resignation comes a day after the chairwoman of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, Roberta Kaplan, resigned from the organization after facing ardent criticism for her ties to Cuomo and her alleged efforts to discredit one of his accusers. Kaplan mentioned in her resignation letter the severity of the attorney general’s findings. "Unfortunately, recent events have made it clear that even our apparent allies in the fight to advance women can turn out to be abusers," she said.
It is important to note here that Cuomo resigned just a day after one of his former aides, Brittany Commisso, who filed the most serious accusations against him, went public with the charges in a new interview. She claimed that Cuomo had groped and hugged her for "personal sexual satisfaction" and turned her "dream job … into a nightmare". Commisso explained what she called "unwanted touching" during "creepy encounters" with Cuomo. Brittany Commisso started working for Cuomo in 2017.
Who will replace Andrew Cuomo?
If the reports are to be believed, Kathy Hochul is set to become New York State’s first female governor in the event of Andrew Cuomo's resignation. Hochul will be the 57th governor of New York state. The lieutenant governor of New York, Kathy Hochul has worked under Cuomo for two terms in office but she recently joined the group of politicians who denounced the governor after an investigation revealed that he had sexually harassed 11 women at the workplace.
