Guwahati News Desk: After more than a decade in office, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation over sexual harassment allegations.
Cuomo said in a speech, “I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing.”
The three-term Democratic governor’s decision will be taking effect in two weeks, after which Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will be taking over his position.
Cuomo, who gained national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been accused in a report by the state attorney general of sexually harassing 11 women, including staffers as well as people who did not work for his administration.
According to sources, a majority of the New York Assembly, once filled with Cuomo’s allies, supported impeaching the governor.
Meanwhile, one of his accusers, Brittany Commisso, told the media, “He almost has this smirk that he thinks that he’s untouchable”.
The attorney general’s report described an “unsafe” and “hostile” work environment in the governor’s office. It included testimony from Commisso, who said she was terrified of senior staff, including DeRosa, learning about her accusations.
However, Cuomo continued his speech by saying, “In my mind, I never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
Referring to all the instances and allegations to be about politics, Cuomo said, “And our political system today is too often driven by the extremes. Rashness has replaced reasonableness. Loudness has replaced soundness. Twitter has become the public square for policy debate. There is an intelligent discussion to be had on gender-based actions, on generational and cultural behavior differences, on setting higher standards and finding reasonable resolutions. But the political environment is too hot and too reactionary for that right now.”
Furthermore, in his resignation speech of Tuesday, Cuomo also directly addressed his daughters, saying his “greatest goal is for them to have a better future than the generations of women before them.”
