Name: Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins tells Cuomo to resign
Brand: timesunion.com
SKU: timesunion-com-33
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins tells Cuomo to resign

preview

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateALBANY — State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on Sunday called for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to resign amid widening sexual harassment allegations that are being leveled against him, marking the highest-ranking Democrat to call on the governor to step down.Minutes later, Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie also called for Cuomo to consider stepping aside.Hours earlier, Cuomo defiantly declared that pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter that is being steered by the attorney general's office."Every day there is another account that is drawing away from the business of government. We have allegations about sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, the loss of credibility surrounding the Covid-19 nursing home data and questions about the construction of a major infrastructure project," Stewart-Cousins said in a statement released Sunday afternoon. "New York is still in the midst of this pandemic and is still facing the societal, health and economic impacts of it. We need to govern without daily distraction. For the good of the state Gov. Cuomo must resign."Stewart-Cousins' reference to a "major infrastructure project" centered on that examined the state's investigations of allegations that the company that constructed the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge had concealed that bolts used to fasten the massive girders on the twin span were breaking and being replaced.The story so farTimeline: Patterns emerge: Attorney General's investigation: 'Shadow investigation': Calls to step down:The demand by Stewart-Cousins, who in 2018 became the first woman to lead a state legislative chamber, could potentially trigger a cascade of calls from other lawmakers for the governor to resign — especially Democrats — and could leave the governor inflicted with devastating political wounds as his administration also weathers a U.S. Justice Department probe of its handling of&nbsp;the coronavirus pandemic, including nursing home fatalities.Heastie characterized the allegations against Cuomo as "deeply disturbing" and said that type of behavior has "no place whatsoever in government, the workplace or anywhere else.""I too share the sentiment of Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins regarding the governor's ability to continue to lead this state," Heastie said in the statement. "We have many challenges to address, and I think it is time for the governor to seriously consider whether he can effectively meet the needs of the people of New York."Three state senators quickly followed Stewart-Cousins' lead: Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger and state Sen. Sahmra Brouk issued separate statements calling for Cuomo to step down."I stand with you in calling for Gov. Cuomo to resign so we can move our state forward," Gianaris tweeted.During a conference call held two hours before Stewart-Cousins' announcement, Cuomo said the allegations and calls for his resignation are "irrelevant," until state Attorney General Letitia James' office completes its investigation. He said he's focused on the state's coronavirus response and the state budget due in three weeks."There is no way I resign," he said. "Let's do the attorney general's investigation, let's get the findings, let's go from there."Cuomo dismissed the legislators' calls for his resignation as simple politics."The premise of resigning because of allegations is actually anti-democratic," he said. "We’ve always done the exact opposite, the system is based on due process and the credibility of the allegations.”Cuomo's calls for patience while James' investigation plays out are the opposite of his position in 2018 when four women accused then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman of violent abuse. Cuomo called for a district attorney to investigate the allegations, which he characterized as a "damning pattern of facts and corroboration," but said Schneiderman should resign immediately for the good of the office.have now accused Cuomo of inappropriate or unsettling behavior, including a former aide who alleges he in his Manhattan office three years ago.Last week, scores of Republicans and many Democrats immediately when the third woman came forward to allege the governor held her face and asked if he could kiss her while they were attending a wedding reception two years ago.The politicians breaking ranks with Cuomo include a batch of progressive Democrats in the Legislature — as well as a Democratic member of Congress from Long Island.The intensifying calls for his resignation followed the initial allegations made by three women — former aides Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett, and Anna Ruch, who did not work for Cuomo but told the New York Times that Cuomo grabbed her and attempted to kiss her at a wedding. The story included a photo of Cuomo from the moment where Ruch said he held her face and tried to kiss her. That image quickly went viral on social media, with the governor cast in a ghoulish red light and holding onto a young woman with an uncomfortable expression on her face.Over the weekend, in stories published by the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, two more women came forward and described what they characterized as inappropriate behavior by Cuomo."The time has come. The governor must resign," wrote U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Long Island Democrat, on Twitter. Rice is the first Democratic member of Congress to call for Cuomo's ouster, and Rice was among the first to call for the departure of former Minnesota Sen. Al Franken after he, too, was accused of harassment."I’ve seen more than enough as well," said state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat, said last week.Sen. Jessica Ramos also called for his resignation, while Sen. John Liu said Cuomo is "not fit to govern.”Multiple senators and Assembly members also have called for their chambers to pursue impeachment of Cuomo.Cuomo initially said last week that he would defer further comment on the harassment allegations until after the investigation against him is completed. But he has since made multiple public statements about the allegations and apologized if his conduct had offended the women.Many of those calling for resignation are younger, particularly progressive Democrats. Most elected Democrats around the state have maintained support for the probe conducted by state Attorney General Letitia James, and they intend to await the report before offering judgment.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateALBANY — State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on Sunday called for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to resign amid widening sexual harassment allegations that are being leveled against him, marking the highest-ranking Democrat to call on the governor to step down.Minutes later, Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie also called for Cuomo to consider stepping aside.Hours earlier, Cuomo defiantly declared that pending the outcome of an investigation into the matter that is being steered by the attorney general's...

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins tells Cuomo to resign

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS