Andrew Cuomo, 63, dreamed of being elected in 2022 for a fourth term as governor as head of New York State. To do better than the three mandates carried out by his father Mario (1983-1994). He won’t have time to do it. Accused in a judicial report of sexual harassment against eleven women, the Democrat announced his resignation, effective within fourteen days, in a video speech on Tuesday, August 10. “Wasting energy on distractions is the last thing the state government should do, Cuomo said. Given the circumstances, the best way for me to help now is to step aside and let the government rule again. “
The governor of New York had little choice: he was let go by all his Democratic allies, including President Joe Biden, who called for his resignation; he was the subject of several criminal investigations and his party was organizing his dismissal from the Parliament of Albany, the state capital; Finally, he had lost the battle of opinion, with unfavorable polls – according to a survey, 70% of registered voters, including 57% of Democrats, wanted him to resign. “In my mind, I never crossed the red line with anyone, Cuomo said. But I didn’t realize how much the line’s path has been redrawn. “
According to the judicial report published on August 3, which collects 179 testimonies, the governor multiplied the hugs, stolen kisses and inappropriate gestures, repeated salacious jokes and provocations, stroked a woman’s chest under her shirt and offered a collaborator a strip -poker on the plane. All this after the Weinstein affair, which triggered the #metoo movement at the end of 2017.
Atmosphere of terror in its teams
Also according to the testimonies of the report, Mr. Cuomo created an atmosphere of terror in his teams, discrediting in particular the harassed women who wanted to denounce his behavior. The architect of this policy, her chief of staff, Melissa DeRosa, resigned Sunday August 8.
Andrew Cuomo will be replaced by Kathy Hochul, who had been making contact since early August to prepare for the succession. “I’m ready to take the lead”, she said in a statement, calling Cuomo’s resignation a “Right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers”. Mme Hochul, 62, who will be the first woman to lead the state until the 2022 election, is from Rochester in the northeast. Focused on economic and social issues, she held the position of “Lieutenant-governor” of the State since 2015 – an essentially ceremonial function – and did not appear in the first circle of his predecessor.
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