State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said Sunday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo “must resign,” as the number of accusers of sexual harassment against him has risen to five; it seems that the leader of the majority of the State Assembly, Carl Heastie, is echoing.
In a brief statement released shortly after a press conference in which Cuomo vowed not to step down, Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) cited not only the sexual harassment scandal, but also others black eyes, including a federal investigation approaching the Cuomo administration. accounting for the number of coronavirus deaths in residences.
“Every day there is another account moving away from government business,” Stewart-Cousins said. “We have complaints about sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, the loss of credibility surrounding data from COVID-19 nursing homes and questions about the construction of a major infrastructure project.
“New York is still in the midst of this pandemic and is still facing its social, health and economic impacts,” he continued. “We must govern without daily distractions. For the good of the state, Governor Cuomo must resign. “
Heastie (D-Bronx) made a statement of his own in which he noted his agreement with Stewart-Cousins’ statements, but failed to explicitly invite his resignation.
“The governor’s allegations that have been made in recent weeks have been deeply disturbing and have no place in government, in the workplace or anywhere else,” Heastie said. “I also share the sentiment of Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins about the governor’s ability to continue to lead this state.
“We have a lot of challenges to address and I think it’s time for the governor to seriously consider whether he can effectively meet the needs of the people of New York.”
Stewart-Cousins said last week – when Cuomo’s accusers were three: Lindsey Boylan, Charlotte Bennett and Anna Ruch – that the governor would have to resign if the number increased.
Two more charges – former aides Ana Liss and Karen Hinton – were filed on Saturday.
Stewart-Cousins previously said a new action should depend on the findings of an investigation by state Attorney General Letitia James into the allegations.
Cuomo has apologized to some of the women for making inappropriate comments, but strongly denied inappropriate physical contact, all women except Bennett alleged.
The Cuomo administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.