With three allegations of inappropriate behavior by Governor Andrew Cuomo now made public, State Senator James Skoufis (D-Woodbury) has now crossed party lines to call for his resignation.
““The past week has been a period of significant reflection for our state as we all, with gut wrenching dismay, absorbed the allegations lodged by a number of women against the Governor. Lindsey Boylan's, Charlotte Bennett's, and Anna Ruch's experiences lay bare intolerable hostility, exhibited by a high level of detail, photographs, text messages, emails, journalistic vetting, and the Governor's non-denials,” Skoufis said in a statement released Monday morning. “As subordinates to the Governor, the sexual harassment described by Lindsey and Charlotte is harrowing. The photo of Anna's face, bearing unmistakable terror, is haunting.
“"For these reasons, I cannot in good conscience wait for a months-long inquiry by the Attorney General to run its course. I have seen sufficient evidence to conclude that, beyond a reasonable doubt, the Governor's behavior represents a pattern of abuse that deems him unfit for office. Governor Cuomo must resign.”
Over the past few weeks, three women have complained in various ways that the governor sexually harassed them. The most recent came on Monday, when Anna Ruch, a 33-year-old who served in the Obama administration, described an unwanted advance from the governor at a wedding reception, including touching her bare back, cupping her face, and planting an unwanted kiss on her cheek. That image was captured by a friend with a cell phone, and published in the New York Times.
The other two complains were from women who had worked in the Cuomo administration: Charlotte Bennett, an executive assistant and policy advisor and Lindsey Boylan, a former state economic development official.
The governor, at his Wednesday press conference, gave no indication that he is planning to resign, but reiterated a statement he had released earlier
"I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended. I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry about that,” Cuomo said in a statement released Sunday.
To many Republicans and Democrats, that was not enough.
“A dark cloud hangs over our Capitol, the likes of which makes it extraordinarily difficult for the Legislature to move forward with the essential work at hand. Of equal importance, the women of this state - both current and future - demand a Governor who respects them and leaders who hold him accountable when he does not,” Skoufis said.
Skoufis joins Republican Assemblyman Colin Schmitt (R-New Windsor) is calling for Cuomo’s resignation.
“These serious credible allegations coupled with the ongoing COVID-19 nursing home death coverup crisis make it abundantly clear that the Governor is unable to adequately fulfill his duties on behalf of our state. Due to the weight of these numerous allegations and mounting criminal investigations and the information we currently have available it is clear for the good of New York Governor Cuomo must resign immediately, “ Schmitt said