Instead of stepping down on August 5, days after an independent report confirmed the allegations of 11 woman who claimed sexual harassment, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, through his attorneys, continues to attempt to discredit the accusers, the investigators, and the process. This appears to be Cuomo’s second line of defense, after his first attempt at holding on to his job and to public opinion through a video statement, failed miserably.
Among the allegations by Cuomo’s attorneys:
1-That NY Attorney Leticia James, and her office, has not released the full transcripts of their interviews with witnesses and victims.
2-That the AG report did not include Cuomo’s explaination of what happened.
3- That the 2 attorneys appointed by the AG to conduct the invesgation and prepare the report, Joon Kim and Anne Clark, were not independent. Kim is a former U.S. Attorney and together with Clark, have impeccable credentials whose professional integrity has never been called into question, until this week.
4-Cuomo is said to be readying another video in which he plans to rebut the two more serious allegations made against him. One by a former staffer to the Governor who claims that during a time alone with Cuomo at the Governor’s mansion he reached under her blouse and groped her.
A new allegation that came out with the report, that Cuomo sexually harassed a female State Trooper, has also been a bombshell for many friends and families of law enforcement, who have come forward to support the trooper and call for Cuomo to resign. Cuomo is said to want to offer his version of what happened with the female trooper.
Attorney General James issued a statement after the Cuomo claims through his lawyer’s, became too much to stay quiet for. “After multiple women made accusations that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed them, the governor, himself, requested that Attorney General James oversee an independent investigation. The independent investigators selected are widely respected professionals, recognized for their legal and investigatory ability. To attack this investigation and attempt to undermine and politicize this process takes away from the bravery displayed by these women.
“There will be a rolling production of interview transcripts made available to the state Assembly, which will be redacted as needed. There are 11 women whose accounts have been corroborated by a mountain of evidence. Any suggestion that attempts to undermine the credibility of these women or this investigation is unfortunate,” said James.
42 County Democratic leaders across New York State have called on Cuomo to resign NOW. The only support Cuomo has received have come from those who argued that he is not being given due process, and those who claim that some of the allegations sexual harassment are nothing more than conversations between two adults.
Some friends of Cuomo have also come forward. William O’Shaughnessy, CEO of WVOX and WVIP radio stations in Westchester and a long time friend of former Governor Mario Cuomo, said “It doesn’t fit the narrative of the public press, or the personal ambition of many other local, state and regional politicians…but he’s going to ride this out. And one day he will be President.”
A New York Times story titled “The Abandonment of Andrew Cuomo”, Dana Rubenstein and Katie Glueck write, “Among the only public figures inclined to defend Mr. Cuomo publicly are conservatives: the former mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani; the Newsmax host Greg Kelly; and John Catsimatidis, the colorful supermarket magnate who is a regular donor to Mr. Cuomo’s campaigns.”
Other than those mentioned above, there is no other support for Andrew Cuomo staying in office, and most important, no prominent democrats publicly standing by the Governor. A Marist Poll found 52% of registered New York Democrats saying Cuomo should resign. But that still means that 48% of NY Dems are either undecided or want him to serve out his term.
“The court of public opinion believes the allegations against Governor Cuomo warrant his removal from office,” says Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist Poll. “If he does not resign, nearly six in ten New Yorkers believe he should be impeached.”
When several women came out to allege sexual harassment by Cuomo in March, the Governor was able to rely on and embrace continued support from the African-American community in New York, and here in Westchester, from the Reverend Franklyn Richardson, one of the most influential religious leaders in the state.
Perhaps the most calm, collected and believable of Cuomo’s accusers has been Westchester native Charlotte Bennett, who took to the airwaves after the Governor called her out in his video response. Much more on Bennett and her recent comments, which include accusing Cuomo of ‘Gaslighting,’ in our next post.
Finally, the SAM-Party of NY, and its Chair Michael Volpe, also called on Cuomo to resign, “The New York Attorney General’s report affirms credible and detailed allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviors by Governor Cuomo. The report also confirms bullying and retaliation from the Executive Chamber and those under Governor Cuomo’s supervision. On behalf of SAM New York, we call on Governor Cuomo and his subordinates to resign immediately,” said Volpe.
Ironically, it was Cuomo who ‘cancelled’ the SAM Party and several other minor political parties in NY from automatically appearing on the ballot because of a feud he was having with the Working Families Party and their candidate for Governor, actress Cynthia Nixon.
