Andrew Cuomo resigns as New York Governor a week after AG report amid sexual harassment allegations

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned, bringing an end to a 40-year political career that made him a pandemic hero but that is now in ruin thanks to a damning report by Attorney General Letitia James which labeled him a serial sexual harasser. 

Speaking on Tuesday morning in New York City, Cuomo insisted he is innocent and has never groped anyone, but is stepping aside in the interest of the people so government can focus on COVID. 

In a 20-minute speech, he addressed his three daughters, calling them his ‘jewels’ and saying he had ‘made mistakes and learned from them’, but insisting he was not the serial abuser the report made him out to be. 

After the speech, he was seen leaving New York City with two of his daughters, Mariah and Michaela, and his loyal aide Melissa DeRosa, who quit on Sunday.  

‘In many ways I see the world through the eyes of my daughters, Cara, Mariah and Michaela. They are 26 and 26, twins, and 23. I have lived this experience with and through them. I have sat on the couch with them hearing the ugly accusations for weeks. I’ve seen the look in their eyes and expression in their faces and it hurt. 

‘I want my three jewels to know this: my greatest goal is for them to have a better future than the generations of women before them. It is still in many ways a man’s world. It always has been. We have sexism that is culturized and institutionalized. 

‘My daughters have more talent and natural gifts than I ever had. I want to make sure that society allows them to fly as high as their wings will carry them. There should be no assumptions, stereotypes or limitations.

‘I want them to know from the bottom of my heart that I never did or would intentionally disrespect a woman or treat any woman differently than I would want them treated. And that is the god’s honest truth.

‘Your dad made mistakes and he apologized and he learned from it. That’s what life is all about.’ 

Among the first to dance on his political grave were his long-time foes Bill de Blasio, who he regularly sparred with during the pandemic, and Cynthia Nixon, who he beat in the 2018 Gubernatorial race. Republicans say Cuomo’s resignation shouldn’t be the end and that he must now be prosecuted for any sex crimes, and criminally investigated for the nursing home scandal that many consider his worst offense.  

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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during the White House press briefing: ‘The president made clear his views last week and his view still stands.’ 

She added that Biden has not spoken to Cuomo since the report emerged. 

‘The corrupt reign of King Cuomo is over at last, but the fight for justice and accountability is just beginning. 

‘Investigations into Cuomo’s abuse of power, corruption, and criminal misconduct must continue. Cuomo should be immediately prosecuted, not just for sexual harassment and assault, but also for his deadly nursing home policies and subsequent cover up,’ Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y said. 

Janice Dean, a FOX meteorologist whose in-laws died in nursing homes with COVID, said Cuomo still had to be investigated. 

Last year, his administration counted thousands of nursing home deaths as hospital deaths after he signed then rescinded an order that nursing homes had to accept COVID-positive patients. Critics say it was a deliberate cover-up. He says it was an innocent counting mistake. 

‘I want justice. I don’t want this to be the end of the chapter.

‘I want investigations to continue. I want justice for those brave women that came forward and I want justice for those who have no voice, who are in a grave right now because of his mandate. 

‘Don’t forget the over 15,000 loved ones that deserve answers. We haven’t talked about those people. It has gotten caught up in the MeToo stuff. It’s an abuse of power. That’s what this guy has been leaving with in the last two terms, the abuse of power. It’s over today. 

‘Do not forget that he has investigations, some could turn criminal. His corruption runs deep,’ Dean said on Outnumbered.  

In his statement, Cuomo apologized to the women who he ‘offended’ and said he didn’t understand how the ‘line had been redrawn’ by #MeToo. He will replaced by Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul in two weeks. 

Impeachment by the New York State Assembly was looking more like an inevitability for Cuomo, with 86 of the 150 members confirming last week they would vote him out – ten more than would be needed.  

They were not just looking at the sexual harassment report but also claims that Cuomo used state resources to fund his book, gave his family early access to COVID tests and obscured the number of nursing home residents who died from the virus to avoid criticism after ordering thousands of them back in into homes.  

‘The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to government… so therefore that is  what I’ll do because I work for you. Doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you,’ he said. 

Among the first to celebrate his resignation was Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was routinely overruled and ridiculed by Cuomo during the pandemic on how to handle it in New York City. 

De Blasio told the press in a statement: ‘Make no mistake, this is the result of survivors bravely telling their stories. It was past time for Andrew Cuomo to resign and it’s for the good of all New York.’ 

Cynthia Nixon, who ran unsuccessfully against Cuomo in the 2018 Gubernatorial race, tweeted: ‘It should’ve never required 11 different women to come forward to finally acknowledge how fundamentally unfit he is for the highest office in NYS.’ 

Attorney General Letitia James – whose office brought him down – danced on his political grave with a statement thanking Cuomo for his ‘contributions to the state’. 

‘Today closes a sad chapter for all of New York, but it’s an important step towards justice.

‘I thank Governor Cuomo for his contributions to our state. The ascension of our Lieutenant Governor, Kathy Hochul, will help New York enter a new day. We must continue to build on the progress already made and improve the lives of New Yorkers in every corner of the state. 

‘I know our state is in good hands with Lieutenant Governor Hochul at the helm, and I look forward to continuing to work with her.’ 

Cuomo spoke for around 20 minutes from his New York City headquarters.  

He also credited New Yorkers for how they fought COVID, giving an emotional eulogy to the city’s ‘fallen brothers and sisters’ and how sirens ‘filled the city’s silence’ after ‘the enemy landed’. 

The first half of his speech was devoted to undermining the AG’s report and explaining why he thought his behavior was acceptable. 

‘The report said I sexually harassed 11 women. The reaction was outrage. It should have been. However it was also false.

‘My lawyers have reviewed the report and raised serious issues and flaws that should concern all New Yorkers.

‘When there is a lack of fairness it is a concern for everyone. The most serious allegations made against me have no credible factual basis. There is a difference between alleged improper conduct and concluding sexual misconduct. This is not to say there are not 11 women who I truly offended.

‘There are and for that I deeply, deeply apologize.’ 

He went on to say that he thought a hug was ‘friendly’ and kissing women on the cheeks at weddings was ‘being nice’.

He then launched into his resignation, saying: ‘You know me, I am New Yorker, born and bred, I am a fighter.  

‘My instinct is to fight through this controversy because I truly believe it is politically motivated. 

‘I believe it is unfair and untruthful and I believe it demonizes behavior that is unsustainable for society. 

‘If I could communicate the facts through the frenzy, New Yorkers would understand.

‘But when I took my oath as governor, I became a fighter but I became a fighter for you and it is your best interest that I must serve. 

‘This situation, by its current trajectory, will generate months of political and legal controversy. That is what is going to happen. That is how the political wind is blowing. 

‘It will consume government, cost taxpayers millions of dollars, it will brutalize people.

‘The State Assembly outlined weeks of process that will then lead to months of litigation.

‘Time and money that government should spend managing COVID, guarding against the Delta variant, reopening up state, fighting gun violence, and saving New York City. 

‘All that time would be wasted… government really needs to function today. Government needs to perform. It is a matter of life and death. Wasting energy on distractions is the last thing state government should be doing. 

‘I cannot be the cause of that…. given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to government.   

Cuomo had been facing impeachment by the New York State Assembly – a process that would have taken months and, he said, cost millions in precious tax payer dollars. 

The Judiciary Committee investigating him wasn’t just looking at the sexual harassment claims, but also his handling of nursing home deaths in COVID-19, whether he used state resources write and promote his book, or if he gave his family early access to COVID-19 tests when they were hard to come by. 

The sexual harassment allegations began last December with the tweets of Lindsey Boylan, a former staffer who says he made inappropriate remarks to her. 

The most serious allegation is that of Brittany Commisso, who says he groped her breast in the Executive Mansion in November 2020. 

Cuomo denies her claim but he admitted making inappropriate comments to some of the women, saying it’s his way of speaking to people. 

On Tuesday he specifically apologized to the state trooper who says he ‘touched her belly’ and ran his finger down her back and said if he did ever touch her, it was his way of thanking her for her service.    

He went on to suggest that #MeToo has gone too far and that he didn’t understand what would now be considered inappropriate. 

‘In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.

‘There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate. And I should have. No excuses,’ he said. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Cuomo’s attorney Rita Glavin gave a press conference where she again tried to undermine the women’s allegations and say James’ investigation was biased. 

Glavin used a slideshow that was similar to the type Cuomo uses to give COVID-19 updates to chip away at the women’s claims.

She asked why only 41 of the 179 witness interviews in the report have been transcribed and made public, and said the AG left out ‘favorable evidence that did not support the narrative’. 

One of the most problematic claims, she said, was that of the doctor who gave Cuomo his COVID-19 test last March on camera at one of his press conferences.  

He told her “you make that gown look good”, referring to her PPE. The Governor made a joke to the doctor in the hospital gown.

Protected against COVID while she gave him a test. 

‘He said in front of the whole world, “you make that gown look good.” That’s not sexual harassment. I don’t know why that was included in the report except to add another number and make the governor look bad,’ Glavin said. 

She added that investigators failed to interview key witnesses who could have contested the women’s allegations and that it was a deliberate attempt to oust him. 

‘I don’t mean to take away from how this woman felt but we do need to think qualitatively about what these women say.’ 

She pointed to a selfie that Brittany Commisso took with Cuomo, after he allegedly ‘rubbed her butt’ and said that it does not show her looking uncomfortable. 

‘For me as a lawyer, as a former prosecutor, I often use pictures as exhibits at trial. The Governor did not violate Brittany Commisso, he did not rub her rear end before this photo. 

‘I think this picture demonstrates the comfort level of someone who wanted a selfie with the Governor.

‘She sent this to her friend, and there is a footnote, her friend said: “I’m so jealous.” 

‘Men should also be believed and treated fairly. All people should be given that and everybody should have a chance to respond.

‘Everybody should be scrutinized by facts and context. That hasn’t happened here. Our country has a rule of law. I believe in the rule of law. Not mob mentality and not media mentality.

‘The Governor deserves to be treated fairly and that did not happen here,’ Glavin said. 

Glavin is who will now represent him in any criminal cases and lawsuits.

Among those to celebrate Cuomo’s resignation on Tuesday was New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was regularly overruled by Cuomo during the pandemic. 

In a statement to the press less than an hour after Cuomo resigned, de Blasio said: ‘Make no mistake, this is the result of survivors bravely telling their stories. 

‘It was past time for Andrew Cuomo to resign and it’s for the good of all New York.’ 

Luv Guv brought down by his own Cuomosexuality: Born into NY political dynasty and groomed for the top, how Andrew Cuomo stoked his Empire State-sized ego with Emmy and COVID books deal, before sex pest and nursing home scandals 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s abrupt resignation marks a stunning reversal in fortune for one of the nation’s top political figures, bringing his career to a crashing halt just a year after he was inundated with fawning pleas to run for president.

Facing certain impeachment over a scathing New York attorney general’s report that branded him a serial sexual harasser, Cuomo swallowed his pride and announced his resignation in a video address on Tuesday.

It perhaps marked the closing act of the Democrat’s larger-than-life political career, which saw him reach the highest peaks of public adulation before scandal brought him low.

Cuomo, 63, was groomed for the political limelight from an early age, cutting his teeth as his governor father’s sharp-elbowed campaign manager. He went on to marry (and divorce) a Kennedy, serve in Bill Clinton’s cabinet, and is older brother to CNN primetime host Chris Cuomo.

As politicians go, he was as close to royalty in the Democratic Party as they come, and wielded his power ruthlessly, crushing any enemies, real or perceived

Cuomo was born in Queens in 1957, the son of Mario Cuomo, a lawyer who would go on to become New York governor, and his wife Mathilda.

Andrew Cuomo served as campaign manager during his father’s successful 1982 campaign for governor, later joining the administration where he was known as the ‘enforcer’ for his role in ramming legislation through Albany.

A lawyer by training, Cuomo then went on to work as a prosecutor in New York City, later entering private practice and founding the Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged (HELP), which grew into a large provider of transitional housing for the homeless.

In 1990, he married Kerri Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy. The couple had three daughters together before separating in 2003, later divorcing.

In the early 90s, Cuomo used his experience with HELP to secure the chairmanship of the New York City Homeless Commission under Mayor David Dinkins’ administration.

No doubt with the help of his family ties, he quickly rose in politics. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed him as an assistant secretary in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

After HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros departed at the end of Clinton’s first term under the cloud of an FBI investigation, Clinton tapped Cuomo as his replacement.

Cuomo was unanimously confirmed by the Senate and served as HUD secretary through the end of Clinton’s second term, leading a push to force lenders to issue more mortgages for low-income homebuyers and diversify home ownership.

It was an effort some believe contributed to the subprime mortgage implosion that triggered the Great Recession.

In another controversial move, he created a new program called ‘Community Builders’ with a staff of 800, without appropriation from Congress, that had a nebulous goal of connecting with local community groups and elected officials across the country to push the Clinton administration’s agenda.

Senator Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican, slammed the program as ‘Cuomo’s personal army.’

One HUD official was quoted at the time describing Community Builders a ‘Democratic ward heelers who act as a pipeline between Democratic city officials, party leaders, and the administration and the Democratic National Committee.’

Cuomo’s first foray into New York politics went poorly, when he lost the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2002 despite strong fundraising.

In 2006, he successfully ran for attorney general, leading some Democratic politicians to label him the state’s ‘comeback kid.’

He was largely viewed as a ideological centrist – in 2018, he beat back a liberal challenge from ‘Sex and the City’ actor Cynthia Nixon – though he has moved left in recent years with the rest of the Democratic Party.

As his power grew, Cuomo built a reputation as an ambitious, ruthless politician who was willing to retaliate against perceived enemies and whose abrasive style in private often alienated others.

Earlier this year, Cuomo called a state assemblyman, Ron Kim, who had criticized the governor over the nursing home crisis, and threatened to attack him publicly, according to Kim. Cuomo would do just that a week later at a news briefing.

His years-long feud with liberal New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio gave the city’s tabloids plenty of fodder, from the serious to the ridiculous.

In 2016, the pair fought over the fate of a wayward deer that had found its way into Manhattan; when the deer died, each administration blamed the other.

At times their animosity caused confusion during the pandemic. In the spring of 2020, de Blasio announced city schools would close for the rest of the year, only to be corrected by Cuomo, who said only the governor had the authority to do so.

‘Cut the c**p,’ a frustrated Eric Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, implored both men in a Twitter post. Adams, now the Democratic mayoral nominee, is widely expected to win a November election and succeed the term-limited de Blasio.

It was the coronavirus pandemic that made Cuomo into a household name nationwide, transforming him into a hero in the eyes of many Democrats.

Meet the ‘down to earth’ Irish immigrants’ daughter who will replace Cuomo: Kathy Hochul was once endorsed by the NRA and replaced a male colleague who was busted soliciting sex on Craigslist 

The woman who will replace Andrew Cuomo is Lieutenant Kathy Hochul, the granddaughter of Irish immigrants who was handpicked by the embattled governor and has now turned against him.  

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, 62, will become the first female governor in New York’s history when she replaces Cuomo in two weeks, on August 24. 

Throughout the pandemic, she has taken a quiet backseat to her boss’s very public profile after being cherry-picked by him in 2014.   

She won another political role in 2011 by replacing Rep. Chris Lee, her married male colleague who was caught soliciting women for sex on Craigslist. 

Hochul was only in his seat for a year before being replaced. Previously, she ran upstate as a more conservative candidate and was once endorsed by the NRA. 

In 2007, when she was the Erie County Clerk, she went against the then Governor Elliot Spitzer’s effort to give all undocumented migrants driver’s licenses. 

She was endorsed again in 2012, when running against Chris Collins, but she lost that election.  

Hochul was chosen by Cuomo in 2014, replacing former Lieutenant Gov. Lieutenant-Governor Robert Duff, and was re-elected along with Cuomo in 2018. 

Hochul grew up in upstate New York, the daughter of a steelworker father once so poor his family had to live in a trailer, before he became a successful businessman.

She has served Cuomo loyally but this week, as the Attorney General found him guilty of sexually harassing at least 11 women, she turned on him. 

‘The AG’s investigation has documented repulsive & unlawful behavior by the Governor towards multiple women. I believe these brave women & admire their courage coming forward.

‘No one is above the law. Under the New York Constitution, the Assembly will now determine the next steps. 

‘Because Lieutenant Governors stand next in the line of succession, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the process at this moment,’ she tweeted. 

Her husband is William J. Hochul Jr, a prosecutor of 23 years whose convictions include those of the Lackwanna Six – six American men who joined al-Qaeda.

He is now a private attorney but was previously the United States attorney for the Western District of New York.

The pair live in Buffalo in a $800,000, three-bedroom apartment, according to public records. 

Their kids are in their early 30s. Katie, or Caitlin, works for PR firm Concepts Inc whose past clients include The Gates Foundation and the Justice Department. 

Her son, William Hochul III, is a DC lawyer. 

Unlike Cuomo – whose father was a governor and who grew up in wealth and New York society – Hochul’s family are Irish immigrants. 

On her public bio, she talks about how her mother and father lived at one time in a trailer on the grounds of the steel plant where her father worked in Buffalo. 

She describes herself as ‘progressive’ and is keenly pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ rights.  Hochul is well-liked upstate, where Cuomo’s popularity has evaporated. 

‘She is probably one of the most down-to-earth people that you could ever meet. 

‘She’s gone to great heights in government, yet one-to-one, she is so accessible and so warm and just a very generous person. 

‘She’s always able to help — particularly women, too,’ Assembly member Karen McMahon told Politico recently. 

‘She works hard, she listens to people, she cares. In any state, you want for your lieutenant governor somebody who can do the job of governor. It doesn’t always happen, but in Kathy Hochul’s case she has the ability to do the job if it comes to it,’ Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan told The Wall Street Journal.