Name: Cuomo won't resign: 'I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate'
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Cuomo won't resign: 'I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate'

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ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo repeated Friday afternoon that he would not resign despite calls for him to do so from more than a dozen members of the state's congressional delegation.“I never harassed anyone, I never abused anyone, I never assaulted anyone, and I never would," he said in a conference call. "I'm not going to resign. I was not elected by politicians; I was elected by the people."The story so farTimeline: Patterns emerge: Attorney General's investigation: 'Shadow investigation': Calls to step down:After delivering a perfunctory COVID-19 briefing — positivity rate, hospitalizations and deaths are trending in the right direction — Cuomo remained defiant, and attempted to spin the allegations against him as women upset about how he posed with them in photos.One of his accusers has said he kissed her without her consent at work. Another said he asked her if she liked to sleep with older men and if she was able to enjoy sexual intercourse as a survivor of sexual assault. A third woman has in a sexually aggressive manner without her consent; the governor faces potential criminal liability for that allegation."What is being alleged just did not happen," Cuomo said. "I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate. Period."His refrain, repeatedly, has been that he never touched anyone "inappropriately," but he has declined to elaborate on what that means in context. A reporter asked him to clarify whether he ever believed himself to be in a consensual relationship with a staffer that she may have interpreted as harassment, and Cuomo said his statements have been clear — but he never directly answered the question.Timeline of allegations made against Gov. Andrew CuomoMarch 19:March 9:March 7:March 6:March 1:Feb. 27:Feb. 24:The governor added that with the multiple crises facing the state — fiscal and economic, as well as the ongoing vaccination effort — he believes he's still best positioned person to lead New York.“I won’t speculate about people’s possible motives. But I can tell you as a former attorney general who’s gone through this situation many times, there are often many motivations for making an allegation. And that is why you need to know the facts before you make a decision," Cuomo said. "People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture and the truth."He has refused to delve into the details of the allegations, saying that he doesn't want to try his case in the press. And as , he denounced those calls as irresponsible and reckless before state Attorney General Letitia James is able to complete her investigation into the harassment claims.“Part of this is that I’m not part of the political club. And you know what? I'm proud of it," said the three-term governor, who is the son of a three-term governor, was previously married to a member of the Kennedy family, and served as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Renewal during President Bill Clinton's administration.Also Friday, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who has on occasion clashed with Cuomo, joined those calling for Cuomo's exit."These allegations are extremely disturbing and are impairing Gov. Cuomo’s ability to lead, as our state struggles through a crisis and must make critical budget decisions," DiNapoli said in a Tweet. "It is time for him to step down."

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo repeated Friday afternoon that he would not resign despite calls for him to do so from more than a dozen members of the state's congressional delegation.“I never harassed anyone, I never abused anyone, I never assaulted anyone, and I never would," he said in a conference call. "I'm not going to resign. I was not elected by politicians; I was elected by the people."The story so farTimeline: Patterns emerge: Attorney General's investigation: 'Shadow investigation': Calls to step down:After delivering a perfunctory COVID-19 briefing — positivity rate,...

Cuomo won't resign: 'I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate'

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