NYC mayor calls on Cuomo to resign immediately
New York City mayor says Cuomo should resign immediately
From CNN’s Josiah Ryan
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign immediately or face impeachment, saying he believes the governor is guilty of “sexual assault” and could be held criminally responsible for his alleged actions.
“It’s disgusting,” said de Blasio. “…My heart goes out to these women… They were put through hell by a powerful man who held their career in his hands and used that power to manipulate, to have his way.”
“This is textbook sexual harassment and unfortunately… in some cases, sexual assault,” he continued. “Disgusting and troubling and unacceptable and he needs to leave office immediately.”
De Blasio went on to dismiss the defense Cuomo laid out for himself in a video presentation earlier today as “laughable.”
“If he won’t resign, he should be impeached as quickly as possible by the state legislator,” the mayor said. “He can’t govern.”
De Blasio went on to suggest he believed the governor should face criminal liability over the allegations.
“It looks that way to me,” he said, when asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer if Cuomo should he face criminal charges. “Any assault on a woman, and the assault on a woman, you should face criminal charges. But if you, on top of that, use your power and position to think you could cover up the assault, well, that sounds criminal to me.”
New York lawmaker says Cuomo “can no longer remain in office”
From CNN’s Lauren del Valle
New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie issued an updated statement on Tuesday, saying Gov. Andrew Cuomo has “lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority,” and “can no longer remain in office.”
Heastie said after receiving all relevant documents and evidence from the New York attorney general, they “will move expeditiously and look to conclude our impeachment investigation.”
Since the scandal embroiled the governor last year, Heastie has repeatedly stayed away from calling for Cuomo’s resignation unlike other Democratic leaders.
Though he is not officially on the Judiciary Committee, which would present articles of impeachment to the State Assembly, his support for impeachment is necessary behind the scenes for the impeachment process to move forward as he is the highest-ranking member in the assembly.
President Biden calls on Andrew Cuomo to resign
President Biden has called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign.
Asked at a press conference today if he will you call on Cuomo to resign given the investigators said the 11 women were credible, Biden said, “Yes.”
Biden said that he stood by his statement in March when he said that Cuomo should resign if the allegations were proven by the investigation.
“I think he should resign. I understand that the state legislature may decide to impeach. I don’t know that for fact. I have not read all that data,” Biden added.
In response to a follow-up question about Cuomo, Biden said that he had not read the report but stands by what he said in March.
“Look, what I said was if the investigation of the attorney general concluded that the allegations are correct, that back in March I would recommend he resign. That’s what I’m doing today. I have not read the report. I don’t know the detail of it. All I know is the end result.”
Watch:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls for Cuomo to resign
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign in a statement today.
Here’s her statement:
“Under Attorney General Letitia James, a comprehensive and independent investigation into the allegations against Governor Cuomo has been completed.
“As always, I commend the women who came forward to speak their truth.
“Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign.”
Some background: Pelosi’s statement is a turnaround from her remarks on the allegations against Cuomo in March. At that time, Pelosi told ABC’s “This Week” in an interview that women should be believed but stopped short of calling for Cuomo’s resignation amid sexual harassment allegations against him.
Over two-thirds of New York state senators have called for Cuomo to resign
From CNN’s Paul P. Murphy
At least 55 of the 63 members of the New York State Senate, which would vote to remove Gov. Andrew Cuomo if he were to be impeached, have now called for his resignation over sexual harassment allegations.
If the governor was impeached by the New York State Assembly and those state senators also voted to find Cuomo guilty, he would be removed from office.
The New York State Senate would be the legislative body — joined by the seven judges from the New York Court of Appeals — that would vote on any impeachment articles that could be brought. A two-thirds vote by that group would remove an individual, such as the governor, from office.
State law prevents temporary senate president, Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins, from voting to remove the governor; she reiterated on Tuesday that Cuomo should resign.
Individuals removed from office also be barred from holding public office in the future in addition to “any public office of honor, trust, or profit under this state.”
CNN has reached out for comment to the remaining six state senators from whom it has not found public statements on whether Cuomo should resign.
Two Democratic state senators, Simcha Felder and Joe Addabbo, have told CNN they do not have a statement at this time on whether Cuomo should resign.
Cuomo must resign “for the sake of the state,” New York lawmaker says
From CNN’s Josiah Ryan
New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign today in the wake of the attorney general’s report that he sexually harassed multiple women.
“Given the substantiation of the allegations, given the independent investigation by our attorney general, I don’t think there’s anything more to be said,” she told CNN.
“I do believe that for the sake of the state, the governor resigns,” she said. “He should resign.”
Stewart-Cousins also said she supports efforts in the state assembly to move forward impeachment, and that if articles are sent over to the state’s upper chamber, she is prepared to hold a trial and “listen to the presentation of the case and make their judgements from there.”
“That is certainly a way to go,” she said.
Watch more:
New York Assembly Democrats are currently meeting in an emergency conference
From CNN’s Lauren del Valle
New York State Assembly Democrats are currently in an emergency conference, discussing the attorney general’s report that found several instances of unlawful sexual harassment and retaliation by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to two sources with direct knowledge.
The state legislature is not currently in session but lawmakers can call a special session at any time should they proceed with filing articles of impeachment and impeachment proceedings.
The Judiciary Committee is currently scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the ongoing impeachment investigation.
Democratic nominee for NYC mayor calls on Cuomo to resign
From CNN’s Rob Frehse and Alyssa Kraus
Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor, called on the New York state assembly to swiftly move forward with impeachment proceedings today if Gov. Andrew Cuomo does not resign.
“Attorney General James conducted a thorough and revealing investigation that yielded disturbing conclusions about the conduct of Governor Cuomo,” Adams said in a statement. “It is now the duty of the New York State Assembly to take swift and appropriate action and move forward with impeachment proceedings if the Governor will not resign.”
An impeachment inquiry by the New York state assembly is ongoing.
On Aug. 9, there is another meeting of the judiciary committee overseeing the inquiry. Part of that will be open to the public but then will go into a closed executive session.
Next, the committee would draft articles of impeachment should they move forward.
New York’s lieutenant governor calls details documented in report “repulsive and unlawful behavior”
New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul called the details documented in the attorney general’s investigation “repulsive and unlawful behavior” by the governor, in a statement today.
“No one is above the law. Under the New York Constitution, the Assembly will now determine the next steps,” she said. An impeachment inquiry is ongoing by the assembly’s judiciary committee.
Hochul added that because she is next in line to become governor, “it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the process at this moment.”
Read her statement here:
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/7BAUPr_Eg_o/h_61a30e4ec65820258d861b578e30d258
