Prominent New York Democrats are expecting Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign today August 5. The announcement will be made three days after NY Attorney General Leticia James released an independent study which found that 11 women who came forward to allege sexual harassment were credible and believable.
After James’ press conference, Cuomo released a video of his own in which he both apologized but claimed he never touched anyone and that anyone who thought that his comments were sexual harassment were mistaken.
The most prominent, believable, and vocal of Cuomo’s victims of sexual harassment, Westchester’s own Charlotte Bennett, appeared on several news shows after Cuomo released his video to point out the hypocrisy in his video statement.
“It’s clear that he won’t take responsibility and we have to look to the Assembly speaker to start impeachment proceedings immediately. There’s not much left to consider.”
Bennett also said that Cuomo was ‘gaslighting” her or ‘victim blaming’ when he alleged in his video that he was attmepting to mentor Bennett by discussing her past trauma from sexual assault. “It wasn’t an apology and he didn’t take accountability for his actions. He blamed me and said that I simply misinterpreted what he had said, and trying to justify himself by making me out to be someone who can’t tell the difference between sexual harassment and mentorship, and I think that’s absolutely absurd.”
“His line of questioning was not appropriate,” she said. “He was coming onto me and he insinuated that survivors of trauma and sexual assault can’t tell the difference between mentorship and leadership and sexual harassment itself — which is not only insulting to me but every survivor who listened to him yesterday.”
“The victim blaming is not OK. He’s not operating in reality and at this point, it’s besides the point. I am glad that I came forward,” she said. “I am proud of my decision.”
When President Joe Biden was asked if Cuomo should resign and he said “yes,” that was another indication that the Governor had little time left to step down.
Another sad discovery in the AG’s report was the fact that a female State Trooper had been recruited to serve in Cuomo’s security detail by the Governor himself, who pulled strings to have her moved. More creepy questions and suggestions were made according to testimony given to the independent commission by the State Trooper, including the fact that some of the incidents may have occured here in Westchester when Cuomo was living in New Castle.
The pressure and damage on the Governor’s brother, CNN host Chris Cuomo, may have also played into a decision to step down. Chris Cuomo was also named in the AG’s report as someone who did damage control for his brother and aided in crafting responses to the allegations when they came out six months ago.
A recent poll had 52% of registered democrats supporting Cuomo to stay in office, but perhaps the Governor saw more recent numbers which show his support in a continued decline. Or maybe there was someone in his inner circle who was able to convince him to get out now, instead of carrying on through an impeachment.
Here in Westchester, County Executive George Latimer, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, State Senator Shelley Mayer, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, State Senator Allesandra Biaggi, and Congressmembers Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones have all called on Cuomo to resign.
