New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confronted instant calls to resign after a second former aide detailed sexual harassment allegations in opposition to him in a New York Times report printed Saturday. In addition to calls from state leaders who urged the governor to step down, quite a few officers emphasised the necessity for an impartial investigation into his alleged conduct.
Charlotte Bennett, 25, left Cuomo’s administration in November after serving as a well being coverage adviser. Bennett told the Times that the governor requested her if she had ever dated an older man, and stated he was open to relationships with girls of her age, throughout her time working within the administration.
The Times report was printed simply after former Cuomo aide and present candidate for Manhattan borough president, Lindsey Boylan, recounted Cuomo’s in depth historical past of alleged inappropriate habits and sexual harassment towards her in an essay launched through Medium.
The governor has denied each girls’s allegations. In a statement issued Saturday, Cuomo praised Bennett’s work ethic whereas Beth Garvey, particular counsel and senior adviser to the governor, confirmed that former federal Judge Barbara Jones would conduct an inner overview of the accusations “and all staff will cooperate in that endeavor.”
Many of New York’s state leaders are advocating for an impartial investigation into allegations in opposition to Cuomo, together with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Andrew Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. A bunch of Republican state senators known as on New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose workplace beforehand pursued an investigation into Cuomo’s conduct surrounding COVID-19 deaths within the state’s long-term care services, to open one other inquiry following Boylan’s harassment allegations final week.
At least two Democratic state legislators have known as on Cuomo to resign Saturday.
“I commend the courage of Ms. Bennett and Lindsey Boylan for coming forward. The harassment experienced bye these former staffers is part of a clear pattern of abuse and manipulation by the Governor, and that pattern makes him unworthy of holding the highest office in New York,” stated New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi in an announcement. “A truly independent investigation into the allegations made by Ms. Bennett, Ms. Boylan, and any forthcoming survivors should take place — but the Governor’s influence touches all entities in New York that might review his conduct.”
Biaggi famous that personnel at the moment assigned to conduct a overview of Cuomo’s conduct are intertwined together with his skilled community, and due to this fact, the investigation “does not meet any standard of independence.” Still, she insisted the governor resign from his place.
“While a truly independent investigation may uncover more evidence or instances of abuse, the existing details are sufficient for me to form my conclusion. As a New Yorkers, a legislator, Chair of the Senate Ethics and Internal Governance Committee, and a survivor of sexual abuse, I am calling for Governor Cuomo to resign,” the assertion concluded.
Biaggi was certainly one of 14 Democrats who known as for an end to Cuomo’s expanded emergency powers earlier this month, primarily in mild of the governor’s position in final 12 months’s nursing house disaster and alleged try at a cover-up.
Democratic New York State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou additionally requested Cuomo to resign.
“You’re showing, @NYGovCuomo,” she wrote. “Our governor is a manipulative, controlling, abusive, power obsessed, predator. Please resign.”
“The harassment detailed here, on top of allegations made earlier this week, are wholly unacceptable and require a fully independent investigation, not a review buy a handpicked inquisitor,” stated New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes on Twitter Saturday night, following the Times report.
“For people in power this behavior is intentional,” he continued in a subsequent tweet. “They act this way to exert their power over those they think are powerless. They demean and dehumanize others to show they can. They say or do anything they want believing that their victims are not in a position to stop them.”
Gounardes beforehand joined Biaggi and a few dozen different state senators in pushing to repeal Cuomo’ emergency powers, which have been broadened when the pandemic started within the spring. Alongside a number of colleagues, he has criticized Cuomo publicly over the governor’s reported efforts to downplay the scope of COVID-19 deaths amongst residents in New York’s long-term care services, and allegedly use threats to intimidate different authorities officers.
“I believe the Attorney General should make an appointment to ensure that it is a truly independent investigation,” echoed Heastie in his personal tweet responding to Bennett’s allegations on Saturday.
Ron Kim, a Democrat and state assemblyman who alleged that Cuomo threatened to “destroy” him after he overtly criticized New York’s nursing house disaster, known as the governor a “coward” following the Times report’s publication and his workplace’s response.
“Andrew Cuomo is a coward who has abused his position of power,” Kim tweeted. “Abuse feeds in the dark. Bravery is one heck of a floodlight.”
“This is not an instance, it’s not a mistake. Clearly this is a problem, and the Governor must answer for it,” wrote Ben Kallos, New York City Council member and progressive caucus co-chair, who can also be a present candidate for Manhattan borough president. “This is disturbing, and we need a real independent investigation on the Governor’s behavior.”
Boylan steered that officers take steps to pressure Cuomo’s departure from workplace if he fails to adjust to resignation requests. The state’s former deputy secretary for financial improvement and particular adviser to the governor described the tradition of harassment as “pervasive” inside Cuomo’s administration in final week’s Medium submit—and steered that she was removed from the one lady who skilled it.
“Like a true abuser, @NYGovCuomo continues to work behind the scenes to undermine the truth and to harm his many victims. His abuse of power never ends. He does not get to choose his judge and jury. We do. And what is abundantly clear to me is the governor should resign,” Boylan tweeted Sunday morning. “And if he does not resign, he should be removed from office. Not one more victim. Not one more life destroyed.”
The information of the newest allegation surrounding Cuomo has gone past New York. During her look on ABC News’ This Week Sunday, Democratic Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono additionally known as for an impartial investigation into the matter.
Newsweek reached out to Cuomo’s workplace for remark.
Source Link – www.newsweek.com
source https://infomagzine.com/ny-democratic-officials-call-for-cuomos-resignation-following-2nd-sexual-harassment-allegation/
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