NEW YORK (AP) – The two top Democrats in the New York legislature withdrew their support for Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday amid allegations of sexual harassment and lower COVID-19 deaths in residences.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins became the first senior Democrat in the state to say the three-term governor should resign. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie did not demand that Cuomo quit smoking, but said in a statement that “it is time for the governor to seriously consider whether he can effectively meet the needs of the people of New York.”
On Saturday, two more women working for Cuomo publicly accused him of misconduct, following other allegations in recent weeks.
“Every day there is another account moving away from government business,” Stewart-Cousins said in a statement. “New York is still in the midst of this pandemic and is still facing its social, health and economic impacts. We must govern without daily distractions. For the good of the state, Governor Cuomo must resign. “
His public commitment to his resignation came shortly after a press conference Sunday where Cuomo said it would be “undemocratic” for him to step down.
“There is no way to give up,” Cuomo told reporters.
“They don’t nullify the will of the people, they don’t get to annul the elections,” he said. “I was elected by the people of New York State. The politicians didn’t choose me. “
In a brief telephone conversation Sunday before the press conference, Cuomo told Stewart-Cousins that he would not quit smoking and that they should accuse him if they wanted him out of office, according to a person who was informed by someone on the call. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the call was intended to be private.
Cuomo said the next six months will determine how successful New York comes out of the coronavirus pandemic. “I will not be distracted because there is too much to do for people,” he said, noting that the state must approve a budget in three weeks and administer 15 million more COVID-19 vaccines.
Support for Cuomo has eroded at an astonishing rate, as it has faced two scandals, one over the treatment of women in the workplace and a second over its administration’s refusal to publish complete statistics on women. deaths from COVID-19 in residences.
Some lawmakers have been outraged by revelations that the Cuomo administration has delayed the release of some data on the deaths of nursing home patients in hospitals, at least in part because of concerns that the administration of President Donald Trump could use against them.
Several women have publicly explained that they felt sexually harassed or at least made them feel degraded and uncomfortable. The state attorney general is investigating. Cuomo has urged people to wait for him to conclude this investigation before judging him.
Among others who have called for Cuomo’s resignation is U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Long Island Democrat.
Former advisor Lindsey Boylan, 36, said Cuomo made inappropriate comments about her appearance, joked about playing poker and once kissed her on the lips at the end of a meeting. Former aide Charlotte Bennett, 25, said Cuomo asked her if she had ever had sex with older men. and made other comments which he interpreted as a measure of his interest in a subject.
Another former aide, Ana Liss, told The Wall Street Journal in a story published Saturday that when she worked as a political aide to the governor between 2013 and 2015, Cuomo called her “love.” hand and asked him personal questions, including if he had a boyfriend.
Asked about Liss’s story at his press conference Sunday, Cuomo said the talk was “my way of making friendly jokes.”
Echoing the comments he made at a press conference last week, Cuomo acknowledged that he had made jokes and asked personal questions in an attempt to be collegiate and often greeted people with hugs and kisses.
“I never wanted to make anyone feel uncomfortable,” he said. Cuomo has denied touching anyone inappropriately.
While Cuomo has apologized in recent days for her behavior, at least he tacitly acknowledges that some of the things women have said are true, he has also pointed to some accusations as completely false.
On Sunday he disputed a story told by him by Karen Hinton, a former Cuomo press collaborator, when he served as federal housing secretary under President Bill Clinton.
In a story published Saturday in The Washington Post, Hinton detailed an awkward interaction with the hotel room he had with Cuomo when the two met in California years ago while trying to fix things after a breakup.
Hinton said that when he got up to leave, Cuomo gave him a hug “too long, too long, too narrow, too intimate.”
He described the encounter not as sexual harassment, but as a “power game” for “manipulation and control.” At that time he was no longer Cuomo’s assistant.
Asked Sunday about Hinton’s account, Cuomo said it was “not true” and noted the two had been longtime political opponents.
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AP journalist Michael Balsamo contributed to this report from Washington, DC