President Joe Biden called for Democratic New York Governor. Andrew Cuomo to resign Tuesday, following a report that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women.
“He should resign,” Biden told reporters at the White House.
Asked whether Cuomo should be removed from office if he refuses to resign, Biden said, “I understand the state legislature may decide to impeach, I do not know that for a fact.”
Biden joined almost every major Democratic lawmaker in Albany and Washington when he called on Cuomo’s resignation. Biden’s demands are more important than those of others because they come from the top of the party leadership.
The report released Tuesday by state Attorney General Letitia James summarized a months long probe by concluding that Cuomo “sexually harassed multiple women, and in doing so violated federal and state law,” James said at a press conference.
A somber but defiant Cuomo strongly denied some of those allegations later Tuesday, and said that other examples of his alleged misconduct had been mischaracterized or misinterpreted.
The report of 165 pages, which includes interviews with 179 witnesses as well as a review of tens and thousands of documents, stated that Cuomo’s office was filled with fear and intimidation and that it was hostile to many of its staff.
The women Cuomo is accused of harassing included members of his own staff, members of the public and other state employees, one of whom was a state trooper, the report found.
Four months after Biden had stated that Cuomo was subject to sexual harassment allegations, the president responded.
Biden stated Tuesday that he stands by his March statement.
“I think he’ll probably end up being prosecuted, too,” Biden told ABC News in an interview that aired March 16.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, stated that the White House was sending a message to Cuomo’s accusers: All women who have “experienced this type of experience…deserve to be treated with respect”
“I don’t know that anyone could have watched [James’ press conference] this morning and not found the allegations to be abhorrent— I know I certainly did,” said Psaki.
James stated that the findings showed “a deeply troubling, but clear picture” and described Cuomo’s office as “a toxic workplace.”
