New York Governor Cuomo refuses to resign over sexual assault claims, saying ‘the state needs me’

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing a number of sexual harassment claims

Credit: SETH WENIG /AFP

Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, said last night that he was not going to resign despite the majority of the state’s Democratic members of Congress saying they believed he could no longer effectively lead.

Mr Cuomo is fighting for his political life after more than six women have come forward to make complaints of sexual harassment and assault. He is now facing an investigation by lawyers working with the New York Attorney General.

"Let the review proceed. I’m not going to resign. I was not elected by the politicians. I was elected by the people," a defiant Mr Cuomo told reporters during a phone briefing on Friday.

"The people of this state have known me for 40 years,” he added.

"We have serious issues across the entire state," Mr Cuomo said, referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, as he claimed his colleagues’ calls to step down at such a time were “dangerous” and “reckless”. 

He again denied the allegations of harassment by a number of women, including former aides and employees.

The latest accusation, reported on Wednesday in the Times Union newspaper, appeared the most serious.

It alleged that Mr Cuomo put his hand under the blouse of a female staffer and touched her "aggressively" at the end of last year in his private residence.

"I did not do what has been alleged," the 63-year-old three-term governor said. "Period. I won’t speculate about people’s possible motives, but I can tell you, as a former attorney general who has gone through this situation many times, there are often many motivations for making an allegation."

He went on to say he is "proud" that he is not part of the "political club" and implied that is why others were "going after" him. 

”People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture and the truth," he said.

At least 14 of the 27 members of New York’s US congressional delegation have now called on Mr Cuomo to step down. 

“Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of the people of New York. Governor Cuomo must resign,” Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Chairman, wrote on Twitter. 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released a statement saying: "The fact that this latest report was so recent is alarming, and it raises concerns about the present safety and well-being of the administration’s staff. These allegations have all been consistent and highly-detailed, and there are also credible media reports substantiating their accounts."

The growing scandal surrounding the Democrat once tipped to win the party’s nomination in the 2024 election was receiving intense media attention. The New York Times and New York Magazine on Friday both released investigations into Mr Cuomo’s administration, which the latter called “toxic”.

More than 35 people who have worked in Mr Cuomo’s executive chamber described his office to the Times as "deeply chaotic, unprofessional and toxic," especially for young women.