New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday he would not “resign”, and said “a deep apology” for hurting some.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has made his first public appearance since the allegations were first made.
AFP
Accused of sexual harassment and called to resign by a growing number of elected officials, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would not “resign”. He was speaking during his first public appearance since the first allegations.
“I was not elected by politicians, I was elected by the people of the State of New York, I will not resign,” said Wednesday Andrew Cuomo, whose third term expires at the end of 2022.
With his voice sometimes choked, the 63-year-old Democratic governor, who has led the state since 2011, and is one of the most powerful American governors, said “to apologize deeply” for hurting some women. But he said he “never did anything in my career that I am ashamed of”.
“I had no idea at the time that I was making anyone uncomfortable. I never meant to offend anyone, hurt anyone, or hurt anyone. I feel horribly wrong that these people were injured, suffered from these interactions ”.
Wait for the results of the investigation
He again called on New Yorkers to “wait to form an opinion” on the results of the investigation into these allegations which has just been launched by the New York State prosecutor, at undisputed independence.
“I’ve been in situations like this too often, where everyone has an opinion because they’ve read such and such a thing, and suddenly the facts point to a different situation,” he added. No deadline has been announced for the end of the investigation. Some believe it could last for months.
Accused by three women
The governor has been implicated by three women since last Wednesday. A former economic adviser, Lindsey Boylan, 36, initially claimed that he kissed her unsolicited on the mouth and suggested that she play strip poker with him, when she worked with him between 2015 and 2018.
On Saturday, another former aide, Charlotte Bennett, 25, said the governor made advances that made her “uncomfortable” in the spring of 2020. And on Monday, Anna Ruch, 33, who never worked with him, said he “shocked” her by wanting to kiss her against his will at a wedding in 2019.
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