Andrew Cuomo: Schumer joins calls for governor to resign as 30 new women allege abuse and bullying

Andrew Cuomo says that the politicians demanding his resignation are “reckless and dangerous” and “bowing to cancel culture.”

The under-fire New York governor refused calls for him to step down in the wake of sexual harassment allegations made against him by six women.

“Politicians who don’t know a single fact, but yet form a conclusion and an opinion are, in my opinion are reckless and dangerous. That is politics at its worst,” said Mr Cuomo at a Friday press conference.

Graeme Massis has more on how cancel culture has suddenly become a bi-partisan issue.

In response to Cuomo’s press conference, accuser Lindsey Boylan says the ‘reckless’ one is Cuomo himself.

The governor called politicians calling for his resignation reckless because they reached conclusions without knowing the facts.

“The most reckless and dangerous person is @NYGovCuomo,” she said in a tweet.

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Today’s bombshell New York Magazine report outlines 30 new women accusing Andrew Cuomo with a litany of various allegations.

As a result, several say they had to go to therapy, take anti-depressants, and call a suicide hotline.

At an earlier press conference, the governor refused to resign and denied any allegations of wrongdoing.

One of Cuomo’s speechwriters accused him of “racialized abuse” and said that she was only hired to “fill a quota”.

Accuser Ana Liss, 35, told New York Magazine “started pursuing mental-health services when I was there because I thought I was going crazy. My parents thought I was going nuts”.

“I was angry and crying all the time, and I went on Lexapro,' she added. 'I did call in to a suicide hotline because I felt like such a friggin' nobody.”

A Change.org petition calling for the removal of Andrew Cuomo has received more than 185,000 signatures.

The petition looks to be active for the past year, but has been updated with the latest allegations to emerge.

“We the people of New York State are petitioning to have Governor Andrew Cuomo removed from office,” the petition says.

“Due to multiple reasons. Sexual Harassment on Employees. Not being Honest about Nursing Home deaths and the passing the “New Bail Law” which, releases convicted criminals that should be serving life sentences back into general population.”

Cuomo has denied allegations of wrongdoing.

The governor is chewing gum and walking, as he said at today’s press conference, but continuing his handling of the Covid pandemic.

Although almost two years stand between New York governor Andrew Cuomo and another election, the leader who was last year hailed a “hero” for his response to Covid, could end-up quitting following multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

Mr Cuomo, who faces an investigation into the claims, is currently the highest paid state leader in the country, with a yearly income of $225,000 (£161,549).

The next best paid governor, Gavin Newsom of California, currently receives a sum of $202,000 (£145,045) per year.

A decision taken by New York’s Compensation Committee recommended the pay rise for Mr Cuomo as far back as 2018, when pay for members of the New York legislature was also increased.

Gino Spocchia has the full breakdown on how much the governor is worth.

In a joint statement, New York senators Chuck Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand called on Andrew Cuomo to resign.

“Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York,” they said.

“Governor Cuomo should resign.”

Story to follow.

It is arguably the biggest story in US politics today. Trump is quite and Biden is on a relatively-benign victory lap for his Covid-relief bill.

So the on-going saga of Cuomo and the remarkable response from his own Democratic colleagues calling for his resignation amid 30 new women coming forward today is, to understate the point, huge news.

How is CNN, the network of Cuomo’s brother, Chris Cuomo, covering the story?

On the broadcast, they didn’t cover the governor’s press conference live and instead played a “moments ago” clip of his denials before going into analysis from hosts.

Over on CNN.com, they have a story on the governor’s press conference buried in the top right corner.

As the embattled New York governor refuses calls to resign, he was spotted going for a brisk walk in Albany on Friday afternoon.

Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have joined a growing New York congressional delegation demanding the resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who faces several allegations of sexual harassment and an investigation from his state attorney general.

The US Senate’s top Democrat said in a joint statement with Senator Gillibrand that the governor “has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York.”

Their statement followed a wave of calls to resign from more than a dozen House Democrats from New York, including US Reps Jerry Nadler and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as demands to step down from more than half of the state’s 212 legislators. On Thursday, the state’s top Democrat in the state assembly launched a plan for a judiciary committee to begin an impeachment investigation.

Alex Woodward is going deeper on this angle.