Cuomo says he will not resign, offers new apology
Washington — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that he would not resign in the face of a growing sexual harassment scandal, instead asking New Yorkers to wait for a full investigation of his behavior. He also offered a more expansive apology to the women who he said he had hurt.
“I have learned from what has been an incredibly difficult situation for me as well as other people,” he said. “I have learned an important lesson. I am sorry. I am sorry for whatever pain I have caused anyone. I never intended it.”
Cuomo, a Democrat, maintained that he had never touched any woman “inappropriately” but said his behavior had caused harm in ways that he did not recognize at the time.
“It was unintentional, and I truly and deeply apologize for it,” he said. “I feel awful about it, and frankly I am embarrassed by it, and that is not easy to say. But that is the truth.”
He said he would not step back from his official duties.
“I’m not going to resign,” he said. “I work for the people of the state of New York. They elected me.”
The three-term governor had faced increasing pressure for more than a week, after two women he worked with alleged he had sexually harassed them, accounts that were at least partially backed up by contemporaneous records.
Advisers have said he can weather the scandal if no more women come forward and the independent investigation by Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, does not show anything more damning than what has been alleged so far.
Cuomo, 63, decided to appear publicly Wednesday, after a day when no new women came forward, according to a person close to him, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. The governor still has not spoken to his entire staff about the allegations.
His comments at Wednesday’s news conference were promptly rejected by Cuomo’s critics, who said he still had not come clean on what he knew about the discomfort he had been causing women who worked for him.
“The Governor repeatedly said he had no idea he made anyone uncomfortable,” attorney Debra Katz said in a statement. “My client, Charlotte Bennett, reported his sexually harassing behavior immediately to his Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel. We are confident that they made him aware of her complaint.”
Another of his accusers, Lindsey Boylan, tweeted an quick condemnation of the governor’s new defense.
“How can New Yorkers trust you @NYGovCuomo to lead our state if you ‘don’t know’ when you’ve been inappropriate with your own staff?” she wrote.
The accusations by the women have eroded Cuomo’s political standing, leading prominent members of his own party, such as President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, to call for an investigation into his behavior. Some New York legislators and one House member from the state’s Democratic delegation have demanded his resignation.
Cuomo’s office has asked prominent state Democratic lawmakers not to surprise them with calls for resignation, a person familiar with the request said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. But Cuomo is not exerting the kind of brute political force he has in the past to wield power over lawmakers, this person said.
Kathryn Wylde, president of the Partnership for New York City, an influential group of New York CEOs, said the business community is not jumping to judgment on the issue and will await the review from the attorney general.
“Business considers Cuomo their only ally most of the time when it comes to critical tax and economic issues, and his vulnerability right now is shaking the confidence of the private sector generally in the recovery of the city,” Wylde said.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, a New York-based activist and community leader, said he does not want to “prejudge” the investigation and said whether Cuomo would have to resign or not run for reelection depends on what evidence emerges.
“The general attitude I’m getting among my constituency is people want to wait and see the evidence of what comes out,” Sharpton said. He praised Cuomo for taking on racial inequities in the pandemic, passing the Eric Garner law on policing and “reaching out to the Black community more than most other politicians.”
“His standing in the Black community before this has been probably good. His standing is probably better than most. The only one with higher standing, or as high, is the attorney general,” Sharpton said.