New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned on Tuesday following an inquiry that found he allegedly sexually harassed 11 women, and in the face of mounting legal pressure and demands for his departure.
Cuomo, a Democrat, has served as New York’s governor since 2011. Cuomo’s resignation comes after New York Attorney General Letitia James on Aug. 3 released the results of a five-month independent investigation that concluded he had engaged in conduct that violated U.S. and state laws.
“Given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let the government get back to governing,” he said during a news conference, reports ABC News.
In the televised, 20-minute address, Cuomo again denied any wrongdoing, though he said he accepted “full responsibility” for offending the women through what he characterized as ill-conceived attempts to be affectionate or humorous.
“I have been too familiar with people,” he said. “In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
The Associated Press notes that Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will then become New York’s first female governor in two weeks. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, told reporters she believes Kathy Hochul “will be an extraordinary governor.”
Reuters notes that Cuomo’s resignation marks the second time in 13 years that a New York governor has stepped down in scandal – after Eliot Spitzer quit in 2008 over his patronage of prostitutes.
