Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) called on Andrew Cuomo to resign on Friday evening as sexual-harassment allegations against the embattled New York governor continue to pile up. “We commend the brave actions of the individuals who have come forward with serious allegations of abuse and misconduct,” they said in a statement. “Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has los the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign.”
Their call for his resignation comes after some of the most influential Democratic members of New York’s congressional delegation said Cuomo should resign in the wake of mounting scandals. Rep. Jerry Nadler, who has represented Manhattan in Congress for three decades, said in a statement that Cuomo had “lost the confidence of the people of New York.” Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, meanwhile, said in a joint statement that Cuomo can “no longer effectively lead.” Freshman Rep. Mondaire Jones, calling Cuomo “unfit” for office, cited not only the sexual-harassment claims but also evidence of a plot to cover up COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes. Rep. Grace Meng, a former Democratic National Committee vice chair, joined the resignation calls as well. Later, Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez, long-tenured Manhattan and Brooklyn Democrats who chair House committees, called on Cuomo to resign, as did Reps. Yvette Clarke and Adriano Espaillat.
