After a bombshell report from the New York state attorney general on Governor Cuomo’s accused sexual harassment of 11 women, the Governor has announced his impending resignation.
Many political leaders — from local politicians like Mayor de Blasio all the way up to President Biden — had called for the Governor’s resignation after the report was first released last week, but he had laid low since then (besides an initial prerecorded video statement). Today, August 10, he announced that he will step down in 14 days’ time.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul (a Democrat) will replace him, becoming the first female Governor of New York State.
In his statement, which was preceded by presentations from his lawyer outlining various issues with the report, he attributed the accusations to “cultural and generational shifts” rather than explicit actions of sexual harassment.
“In my mind I never crossed the line with anyone,” he said. “But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I didn’t full appreciate, and I should have. No excuses.”
You can watch his full statement here:
Addressing the people of New York. Watch LIVE: https://t.co/0DOItVsW23
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 10, 2021