(New York) Before the announcement of the resignation, there were the “mecsplications”.
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Speaking live to the people of New York State since the publication of a damning report on allegations of sexual harassment against him, Andrew Cuomo confessed his propensity to touch people, to hug them, to embrace them. “I’ve been doing this all my life,” he said speaking from his Manhattan office.
He said he did not “fully” understand certain “generational and cultural changes” in how to deal with women. “In my mind, I never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize how much the line had been redrawn,” he claimed.
And while claiming to take “full responsibility” for his actions, he rejected outright the allegations of the 11 current and former employees of New York State, blaming his problems on his enemies, on Twitter and on Twitter. an unhealthy political environment.
“I’m a native New Yorker,” he said.
I am a fighter and my gut drives me to fight this controversy because I sincerely believe that it is politically motivated, unfair and untrue, and demonizes behavior that is unsustainable. for the society.
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Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State
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Until then, the governor of New York did not seem like a man who was ready to let go. However, after discussing the impeachment procedure envisaged against him by the New York State Assembly, he changed his tone.
“Given the circumstances, I think the best way to help now is to step aside and let the government rule. And so that’s what I’m going to do, ”he said.
Hold off !
Spectacular fall
Andrew Cuomo’s resignation will take effect 14 days after this announcement. The Lieutenant Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, will then become the first woman to serve as governor of the state. Originally from the Buffalo area, the 62-year-old politician served in the House of Representatives for a single term before being defeated and recruited by Cuomo, who was elected alongside her in 2014 and 2018, without a you might as well include him in his personal guard.
It is a fall as spectacular as it is humiliating for Andrew Cuomo, who had managed to emulate his father, Mario Cuomo, by winning a third term as governor. He claims several political victories on issues dear to progressives, including legalizing gay marriage and marijuana, raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour and toughening gun laws.
Its popularity in New York and the United States will have peaked at the height of the pandemic.
His daily press conferences, where he mixed scientific pedagogy and compassion, contrasted with the often irresponsible and ignorant remarks of Donald Trump.
But that popularity started to crumble last winter. In a text published in December 2020 on the Medium site, Lindsey Boylan became the first woman to accuse the governor of unwanted touching and inappropriate language.
PHOTO TED SHAFFREY, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Letitia James, Attorney General of New York State
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A month later, New York State Attorney General Letitia James followed up with a report accusing the governor of hiding the exact number of COVID-19 victims among residents of nursing homes or nursing homes. state long-term care centers.
Last March, after further allegations of sexual harassment, the governor tried to calm things down by giving the Attorney General the task of carrying out an investigation.
Last week, Letitia James presented a 165-page investigative report accusing Andrew Cuomo of harassing 11 current or former New York State employees in violation of federal and state laws.
Relief and satisfaction
On the same day, all Democrats of some stature, including Joe Biden, called for Andrew Cuomo’s resignation. At the same time, party leaders in Albany, the state capital of New York, have indicated their intention to conclude an impeachment inquiry launched last March against the governor.
It is important to note that Andrew Cuomo should have relinquished his post during the duration of an impeachment proceeding and would not have found him until after a possible acquittal in the New York State Senate.
This scenario must have influenced his decision to resign. One thing is certain, several New York officials have expressed their relief after his announcement.
“Today a sad chapter closes for all of New York, but it is an important step towards justice,” said Letitia James.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has often clashed with Andrew Cuomo, did not hide his satisfaction.
PHOTO RICHARD DREW, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York
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Make no mistake, this is the result of survivors bravely telling their story.
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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Twitter
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Mariann Wang, a lawyer for two of the governor’s alleged victims, said her clients felt “justified and relieved that Cuomo was no longer in a position of power over anyone.”
His resignation does not protect Andrew Cuomo from civil and criminal prosecution. It could, however, encourage the Assembly to abandon its approach to indict the governor.
The impeachment inquiry, it should be remembered, did not focus only on the allegations of sexual harassment. She was interested in other important files, including the governor’s management of the pandemic in the state’s nursing homes.
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