New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is resigning from office, the embattled politician said in a live broadcast midday Tuesday.
The move comes amid a growing torrent of calls for his resignation after an investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office alleged that he harassed 11 women over many years, including groping, hugging, and making inappropriate comments to colleagues and staffers. Following the report, a number of high-ranking politicians called for him to step down, including President Joe Biden.
The resignation is an about-face from recent days, during which Cuomo had refused to step down despite the barrage of negative publicity, and continued to maintain his innocence despite evidence to the contrary. In his live broadcast, he reiterated that point, claiming that the report was “false” and dedicating a sizable chunk of the 21-minute address to attempting to explain the alleged incidents of misconduct described by his accusers.
According to Cuomo, he has decided to resign because the investigation would distract from other issues the city is facing, such as a surge in COVID-19 cases brought by the delta variant.
His resignation will be effective in 14 days.
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