The New York State Assembly has authorized its judicial committee to launch an “impeachment inquiry” into allegations of sexual misconduct brought against Andrew Cuomo by six women.
The panel’s investigation, which would run in parallel with an investigation led by Attorney General Letitia James, would have the power to question witnesses, subpoena documents and evaluate evidence, said Carl Heastie, the state assembly speaker.
“The allegations about the governor are serious,” Heastie said in a statement.
Cuomo, 63, has denied any wrongdoing made by the women, most of whom are former aides. The most recent is an anonymous assistant who told the Times-Union newspaper on Tuesday that Cuomo had groped her after calling her to the executive mansion under the pretense of business last year.
Cuomo denied the groping accusation, the Times-Union reported Wednesday, saying “I’ve never done anything like it” and called the details “heartbreaking.” Representatives for Cuomo did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Reuters could not independently verify the identity of the woman or her account.
The governor apologized at a press conference last week for any behavior that made women uncomfortable, but claimed he had never touched anyone inappropriately.
Heastie, who said he decided to launch the investigation after meeting fellow Democrats controlling the meeting, said last weekend that Cuomo should “seriously consider whether he can effectively meet the needs of the people of New York.”
The list of New York politicians, including Cuomo’s fellow Democrats, calling on the governor to resign is growing, and so is New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday, who said that Cuomo was “ just not as governor anymore. can serve. ”.
Cuomo has said he will not resign and has asked the public to await the results of that investigation before passing judgment.
De Blasio, a longtime political rival to Cuomo, said on Thursday that the latest accusation was troubling.
“The specific allegation that the governor named an employee of his, someone over whom he had power, called them to a private place and then sexually assaulted her is absolutely unacceptable,” De Blasio told reporters. “It’s disgusting to me, and he can no longer serve as governor.”
Calls for Cuomo to resign have been mounting since late February, when Cuomo’s first prosecutor, Lindsey Boylan, a former assistant and current Manhattan presidential candidate, published an essay accusing him of making undesirable claims.
The governor has also faced allegations in recent weeks that his government has sought to downplay the number of nursing home residents killed by Covid-19.
Last weekend, Senate majority leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins called on the governor to resign, saying his style of administration created a “ toxic work environment ” and that the allegations of sexual misconduct had undermined his leadership.
On Thursday, more than 55 Democratic lawmakers in New York followed suit in a letter calling for Cuomo’s resignation.
“As lawmakers and as New Yorkers, we all have to decide what’s best for the future of New York State,” read the letter, posted on Twitter by one of the signatories, Democratic Representative Amanda Septimo, of the South Bronx. .
“Enough is enough,” Septimo wrote.