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Although Andrew Cuomo Announced his resignation on Tuesday With increasing political pressure on sexual harassment allegations, the outgoing governor of New York is still facing more and more legal and political struggles.
Prosecutors in five New York counties have begun investigations Evidence produced A state investigation published last week concluded that the 63-year-old Democrat groped and harassed 11 women, improperly touched them, and commented on their appearance and sex life.
Several of his accusers and New York politicians also promised to continue to hold accountable, including former assistant Lindsay Boylan, who threatened to file a civil lawsuit against Cuomo and accused him of “inciting and re-harming” women.
“From the beginning, I just asked the governor to stop his abusive behavior,” Boylan said in a tweet on Tuesday.
“It is obvious that he could not do this, but kept attacking and accusing the victim until the end,” she wrote. “So many people stand by and watch these abuses happen. It is a tragedy. I thank the Attorney General, investigators and all those who pursue the truth despite intimidation and threats of retaliation.”
From the beginning, I just asked the Governor to stop his abusive behavior. Obviously, he could not do this, but kept attacking and accusing the victim until the end. It is a tragedy for so many people to stand by and watch these abuses happen.
-Lindsey Boylan (@LindseyBoylan) August 10, 2021
Placement pressure
Cuomo is under increasing pressure to resign Independent detector The Office of the State Attorney General Letitia James found that the governor’s office was “full of fear and intimidation,” which not only “facilitated” harassment, but also “generally created a hostile working environment”.
Como is Facing impeachment proceedings In the state legislature, it is not clear whether the state legislator will continue his impeachment after he resigns, which is scheduled to take effect 14 days later. At that time, New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will succeed Cuomo and become the first female governor of the state.
Some New York lawmakers may seek to use impeachment to prevent Cuomo from running for state office in the future, or to punish him by depriving him of his pension.
“We must remember that the governor’s abuse of power extends far beyond the women he victimizes,” State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou said in a statement.
New York State Senator Julia Salazar also stated that “any incomplete impeachment process” “cannot hold the governor fully accountable.”
We are responsible for completing the complete impeachment procedure. Nothing less can fully hold the governor accountable and prevent his actions from repeating in the future.
-Julia Salazar (@JuliaCarmel__) August 10, 2021
In addition to addressing the results of the investigation of sexual harassment, the conference also conducted in-depth studies Suspected of covering up the death in a nursing home Provided by the Governor’s Office at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
State lawmakers are also studying the terms of Cuomo’s $5 million book contract and whether state resources have been abused to support Cuomo’s private interests. As part of the impeachment investigation, the State Assembly Judiciary Committee discussed Cuomo’s book and its role in the governor’s office, and Cuomo’s senior assistant Melissa De Rosa resigned on August 9.
There are other issues in Albany regarding the award of a contract for a new bridge on the Hudson River in northern New York City, named after Cuomo’s father, the late governor Mario Cuomo. The State Senate Committee of Inquiry has issued requests for information and documents to the State Highway Administration and the contractor constructing the new span.
Cuomo Dispute Report
Cuomo strongly opposed the state’s investigation results and said he would oppose these allegations, but he mentioned in his resignation announcement on Tuesday the cost and interference that the impeachment war will bring to the state government.
“In view of this situation, the best way I can help now is if I give up and let the government return to the government, so this is what I will do, because I work for you and do the right thing Do the right thing. “It’s right for you,” Cuomo said directly to the New Yorker.
At the same time, he may also face potential criminal charges.
Last week, Brittany Commisso, the former administrative assistant to the governor, accused Cuomo of improper handling and filed a criminal lawsuit against Albany law enforcement, accusing him of grabbing her breasts while working.
The Albany Sheriff’s Office said it would conduct a thorough investigation.
Cuomo denied the accusation, and his personal lawyer Rita Glavin (Rita Glavin) criticized the results of the state investigation before Como resigned on Tuesday, specifically refuting the claim.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo walks towards his helicopter after announcing his resignation [Caitlin Ochs/Reuters]‘No longer acceptable’
As far as they are concerned, feminist advocates welcome Cuomo’s resignation as evidence that sexual harassment is “no longer acceptable”.
“The governor’s decision to resign proves that since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, the power of female voices has continued to increase,” said Charlotte Bennett’s lawyer Debra Katz. .
Katz said in a statement: “This highlights that sexual harassment is no longer accepted-no matter what position the harasser holds.”
Zephyr Teachout failed in the New York primary election with Cuomo. She applauded the women who stood up and told stories of abuse by the governor.
After Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2008 for sponsoring prostitutes, Cuomo’s resignation marks the second time in 13 years that the governor of New York has stepped down due to a scandal.
We are very grateful to the survivors of Cuomo’s abuse.
Thank you, you should not be put in that position. We already knew who Cuomo was.
Never let this happen again. When someone abuses power to tell you who they are, trust them.
-Zephyr Teachout (@ZephyrTeachout) August 10, 2021
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