Update, 8/10: Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday he will resign from his role as New York Governor, effective in 14 days. His resignation comes less than a week after a scathing report from the attorney general's office found that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women.
Cuomo still denies touching anyone inappropriately. "In my mind, I have never crossed the line with everyone. But I didn’t realized the extent to which the line has been redrawn," he said.
"I want them to know from the bottom of my heart that I never did and I never would intentionally disrespect a woman, treat any woman differently than I would want them treated and that is the God's honest truth, Cuomo said at the press conference, speaking to his daughters. "Your dad made mistakes. And he apologized, and he learned from it and that's what life is all about."
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will serve the rest of Cuomo's term. She will be the state's first female governor. Cuomo still faces the possibility of criminal charges.
Original Post: A new report released Tuesday morning by the attorney general's office found that New York governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, including current and former government workers. The report is the culmination of a four-month long investigation into the misconduct allegations that came to light against the governor over the past year. To date, 11 women have come forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment and improper conduct.
Attorney General Letitia James, who oversaw the investigation, revealed the findings of the 165-page report Tuesday morning. In addition to finding that Cuomo "engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment under federal and New York State law," the report also said that Cuomo retaliated against at least one of the women for going public with her story and that his actions bred an office culture "filled with fear and intimidation."
Though many top Republicans and Democrats had already called for Cuomo's removal after the initial allegations (including Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), he has refused to step down, denying any wrongdoing. In early March, he asked New Yorkers to wait for the findings of the report, saying: "I certainly never meant to offend anyone or cause anyone any pain. This is the last thing I would ever want to do. I ask the people of the state to wait for the facts from the Attorney General’s report before forming an opinion. Get the facts please."
In March, President Biden, a friend of Cuomo's, said that Cuomo should step down should the report find that Cuomo sexually harassed women. Asked at the White House today if Cuomo should leave office, the President responded "yes" and "what I said was if the investigation by the attorney general concluded that the allegations were correct, back in March, I would recommend he resign. That is what I’m doing today.” The President has not yet commented on if he supports or thinks Cuomo should be prosecuted.
Read the report's executive summary below:
We, the investigators appointed to conduct an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, conclude that the Governor engaged in conduct constituting sexual harassment under federal and New York State law. Specifically, we find that the Governor sexually harassed a number of current and former New York State employees by, among other things, engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching, as well as making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women. Our investigation revealed that the Governor’s sexually harassing behavior was not limited to members of his own staff, but extended to other State employees, including a State Trooper on his protective detail and members of the public. We also conclude that the Executive Chamber’s culture—one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor’s frequent flirtations and gender-based comments—contributed to the conditions that allowed the sexual harassment to occur and persist. That culture also influenced the improper and inadequate ways in which the Executive Chamber has responded to allegations of harassment.
Cuomo has since responded to the report saying that the "facts have been much different than what was portrayed." Watch his speech below:
This is a developing story. We will update as we know more information.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Cuomo as mayor.
