As a scandal over COVID nursing home policies led to sexual harassment allegations, a growing number of elected officials have said Andrew Cuomo must resign or be impeached, including Representatives Elise Stefanik and Kathleen Rice.
On March 3, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed calls for him to either step aside or be impeached over a cascading series of scandals, insisting, “I’m not going to resign.” Nevertheless, the list of elected officials and organizations calling on him to step aside has continued to grow. The governor’s troubles began after a report from State Attorney General Letitia James’s office concluded that his administration had undercounted COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. Details from a February phone call between Melissa DeRosa, an administration aide, and Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about a cover-up after DeRosa apologized for the administration’s handling of the data, implying it “froze” because of worries that Trump’s Justice Department would target them. After criticizing Cuomo over the nursing-home scandal, Democratic assemblymember Ron Kim claimed he received an angry phone call from the governor, who threatened to “destroy” him. Additional accusations of “bullying” emerged, and soon Cuomo was faced with allegations of a different kind: sexual harassment. Lindsey Boylan, a former economic-development aide in the administration, alleged in an essay published on February 24 that Cuomo repeatedly made inappropriate sexual comments and once kissed her on the lips without her consent. Then Charlotte Bennett, a 25-year-old former executive assistant and health-policy adviser, told the New York Times that Cuomo had asked personal questions about her sex life and noted his willingness to date a woman in her 20s. On March 1, a third woman, Anna Ruch, accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior during a 2019 wedding reception. She told the Times that the governor placed his hand on her bare lower back, cupped her face with both hands, and asked if he could kiss her. Here’s a running list of everyone calling for Cuomo’s exit. Shortly after Boylan shared her account, the Republican congresswoman took to Twitter, posting a statement that read, in part, “Sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the workplace is not a political issue, it is about right and wrong. Governor Cuomo must immediately resign.” ???????? My Statement Calling for the Resignation of Governor Cuomo ???????? https://t.co/gWvBm4rS31 pic.twitter.com/jZZEobvE92 In a statement posted on February 27, Biaggi, a Democrat, wrote that she commends “the courage of Ms.
