AOC, Nadler Call On Cuomo To Resign Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

As Democrats in the New York State Assembly and the Legislature press Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign following reports claiming the governor placed his hand under a young female employees’ blouse (reports that have been referred to the Albany Police, according to a statement from the department), some of the most visible members of the state’s Congressional delegation have finally broken their silence, and they’re pushing for Cuomo to resign.

NYC Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged the governor to resign in a statement Friday morning. She was joined by Rep. Jamaal Bowman, another New York progressive who defeated establishment Dem Eliot Engel in a Democratic primary last year (in accordance with what’s become known as the AOC playbook).

According to Axios, a flurry of House Dems from the Empire State followed suit within minutes. 11 of the 19 members of the US House from the State of New York have officially called on Cuomo to resign. Previously, Kathleen Rice, another House Dem from NY, was the only member of the state delegation to call on the governor to resign. But the list of those who have joined the growing chorus now includes the leaders of the Judiciary Committee (Nadler) and the powerful House Oversight Committee (Maloney).

• House Judiciary chair Jerry Nadler
• House Oversight chair Carolyn Maloney
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Rep. Jamal Bowman
• Rep. Mondaire Jones
• Rep. Grace Meng
• Rep. Yvette Clark
• Rep. Adriano Espaillat
• Rep. Nydia Velasquez
• Rep. Anthony Delgado
• Rep. Kathleen Rice

The two issued a statement declaring that allegations” against Cuomo have “all been consistent and highly-detailed, and there are also credible media reports substantiating their accounts.”

The two progressives were soon joined by Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who is perhaps best remembered for his active role in the myriad Congressional investigations launched against the Trump Administration, along with the two impeachment dramas. Nadler said the governor had “lost the confidence” of New Yorkers, echoing a criticism levied by state lawmakers.

The big question now: Will NY’s two sitting senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, also turn against the governor? If they do, political analysts believe it would be game over for Cuomo. Schumer has so far refused to comment on whether Cuomo should resign, instead preferring to wait for the results of an investigation being led by NY AG Letitia James.

Following this latest development, the crowdsourced odds of Cuomo remaining in office at the end of 2021 have fallen to 1 in 3.