Andrew Cuomo: who is New York governor, what is he accused of and why has Joe Biden called on him to resign?

The findings of an investigation by the state attorney general’s office revealed Cuomo sexually harassed almost a dozen women, including employees in his office
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President Joe Biden has called on Andrew Cuomo to resign after an independent inquiry found the New York governor had harassed multiple women.

The call came after the state’s Attorney General Letitia James said the governor had violated state and federal laws.

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Here’s all you need to know about who the Governor is, and why Joe Biden has called on him to resign.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Who is Andrew Cuomo?

Andrew Cuomo is an American politician and lawyer who is currently serving as the 56th governor of New York. He has been in the position since 2011.

Cuomo received international attention for his governing during the Covid-19 pandemic in New York. He was initially praised for his quick response efforts, but faced renewed criticism and a federal investigation after it was found his administration covered up information regarding nursing home deaths due to Covid-19.

In late 2020, Governor Cuomo faced allegations of sexual harrassment and sexual assault.

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The findings of an investigation by the state attorney general’s office revealed that Cuomo sexually harassed almost a dozen women, including employees in his office, and violated state and federal laws.

The investigation found that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, nine of whom are current and former state employees — and one of whom is a New York State trooper. "None of them welcomed it and all of them found it uncomfortable," New York Attorney General Letitia James told reporters Tuesday (3 August).

The report revealed that in one case he grabbed an executive assistant by the buttocks and groped her under her shirt, and he fondled the state trooper.

Joon Kim, who co-led the investigation, said: "It was a culture where you could not say no to the governor and if you upset him or his senior staff you'd be written off, cast aside or worse."

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In a video statement, Cuomo denied any wrongdoing, and said he was issuing his own report to “now share the truth”.

In his statement, Mr Cuomo said: "I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.

"I am 63 years old. I have lived my entire adult life in public view. That is just not who I am. And that's not who I have ever been."

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Why has Joe Biden called on him to resign?

President Biden, who is a longtime friend and ally of Governor Cuomo, has called on him to resign.

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During a briefing updating the federal government’s vaccination program, Biden said “I think he should resign.”

Asked about Cuomo’s attempt to defend himself by using an image in which he is making physical contact with Biden himself, the president said: “Look, I’m not going to flyspeck this. I am sure there were some embraces that were totally innocent, but apparently the attorney general decided there were things that weren’t.”

He acknowledged: “I’ve not read the report. I don’t know the details of it. All I know is the end result.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the White House said the findings were “abhorrent” .

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Biden had previously said Cuomo should resign if the allegations were shown by an investigation to be true.

It followed a similar call from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who said in a statement, “Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign.”

New York's senators, the Democrats Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand used the release of the investigation to again call for him to resign.

"Today's report from the New York State attorney general substantiated and corroborated the allegations of the brave women who came forward to share their stories - and we commend the women for doing so," they said.

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