Photo Courtesy of Don Pollard
“I am a fighter, and my instinct is to fight through this controversy because I truly believe it is politically motivated,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of the AG’s report.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Governor Andrew Cuomo finally relented this week, announcing Tuesday in a long, defensive speech that he would be stepping down after a report recently released by the State Attorney General’s Office concluded that Cuomo did sexually harass multiple women — including former and current State employees — by engaging in unwanted groping, kissing, and hugging, and making inappropriate comments.
Further, the governor and his senior staff took actions to retaliate against at least one former employee for coming forward with her story, AG Tish James’s special investigators noted. Finally, the Executive Chamber fostered a “toxic” workplace that enabled “harassment to occur and created a hostile work environment.”
“Now, you know me—I’m a New Yorker, born and bred,” Cuomo, who raised in Hollis, said.“I am a fighter, and my instinct is to fight through this controversy because I truly believe it is politically motivated. I believe it is unfair and it is untruthful, and I believe that it demonizes behavior that is unsustainable for society. If I could communicate the facts through the frenzy, New Yorkers would understand. I believe that, but when I took my oath as governor, then it changed. I became a fighter, but I became a fighter for you, and it is your best interests that I must serve. This situation by its current trajectory will generate months of political and legal controversy. That is what is going to happen. That is how the political wind is blowing. It will consume government. It will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. It will brutalize people.
“The State Assembly yesterday outlined weeks of process that will then lead to months of litigation,” Cuomo continued,“time and money that government should spend managing COVID, guarding against the Delta variant, reopening upstate, fighting gun violence and saving New York City. All that time would be wasted. This is one of the most challenging times for government in a generation. Government really needs to function today. Government needs to perform. It is a matter of life and death — government operations, and wasting energy on distractions is the last thing that state government should be doing. And I cannot be the cause of that.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie called the investigation and its findings “a tragic chapter in our State’s history.”
“I am heartbroken,” the Bronx elected official added in a statement delivered Monday. “Let me be clear: no one should have to endure the type of behavior detailed in the attorney general’s report.
We are at a historic moment in our state’s modern history. For the first time in more than 100 years, the Assembly is undertaking an impeachment investigation of a sitting governor. Chairman Lavine, the members of the Judiciary Committee – and my Majority colleagues – understand the gravity of this situation that we find ourselves in today. Future generations will look to us and how we conducted ourselves in this moment.”
Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul will succeed Cuomo in the Executive Chamber.
