De Blasio suggests Cuomo should resign if sexual harassment allegations are substantiated
NEW YORK — Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested Monday that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will have to step down if an investigation into sexual harassment allegations by two former aides corroborates the accusations.
A second aide to the governor, Charlotte Bennett, told The New York Times Cuomo asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life, including "if I had ever been with an older man." That came on the heels of former staffer Lindsey Boylan alleging last week that Cuomo kissed her without her consent and made inappropriate comments, including asking her to play strip poker.
De Blasio said an older man trying to take advantage of a younger woman to make her feel like she could lose her job if she does not consent is “horrible” — and suggested Cuomo should step down if he’s found to have engaged in sexual harassment.
“If someone purposely tried to use their power to force a woman to have sex with them, of course that’s someone who should no longer be in public service," de Blasio said during his daily press briefing.
The mayor has called for the immediate cancellation of Cuomo’s emergency powers as well as two separate independent investigations into his behavior.
Other New York Democrats on Monday were also starting to suggest Cuomo may need to step aside, though most were still hanging their opinions on the result of an independent investigation that the state attorney general is preparing to launch.
State Sen. Michael Gianaris, the deputy minority leader in the Democrat-controlled Senate, told NY1 that Cuomo’s Sunday apology was insufficient. Moving forward with leading the state, he said, would be difficult for the governor regardless of what comes next.
"We’ll wait for the report, but I do believe that something needs to be done ultimately,” Gianaris said during a Monday morning interview on the TV station. “And whether or not the governor can continue is an open question.”
Cuomo released a statement Sunday in which he claimed his comments were meant to be “good natured” and said he was sorry the interactions were “misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation.” He also conceded he sometimes makes “jokes that I think are funny” when he is at work, believing he is “being playful.”
The governor agreed on Sunday to allow state Attorney General Tish James to appoint a “qualified private lawyer” to launch an investigation into the allegations against him, reversing course after James rejected his earlier proposals and demanded subpoena power.
Cuomo’s office on Monday officially directed James to move forward with the inquiry, sending a referral to her office. James pledged to disclose the findings of the investigation in a public report.
“This is not a responsibility we take lightly as allegations of sexual harassment should always be taken seriously,” James said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Cuomo‘s frequent critics were forcefully attacking the governor. The Senate’s Republican minority leader, Rob Ortt, repeated his calls for the governor to resign.
De Blasio called Cuomo's behavior "disgusting" and "creepy" and said he has seen the governor be abusive "in a way that would not be accepted by anyone in leadership."
"Sexual harassment is not funny," he said on Hot 97 earlier Monday morning. "I mean, who the hell tries to explain that by saying I was just joking around? I mean that even further confirms a mindset from a whole 'nother time that we have left behind, that's unacceptable."
Federal investigators are also looking into the Cuomo administration’s handling of Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes. For months, the state concealed data on thousands of nursing home patients who died of Covid-19.
De Blasio said, in addition to the sexual harassment allegations, there should be a probe into the nursing homes, including whether Cuomo received campaign contributions from the nursing home industry.
"We cannot just look at one or the other,” he said. “We need a full investigation of the nursing home issue where thousands of people died. Information was covered up on purpose and we still don't know if our seniors are safe going forward, our elders. We don't know if they are, because we have not gotten a full accounting of the facts."
Cuomo‘s office confirmed on Monday it had hired Elkan Abramowitz, a former federal prosecutor and a top white-collar defense attorney, the Wall Street Journal reported. Abramowitz said in an email to POLITICO that the firm is representing the governor’s office as it relates to the inquiries involving nursing homes and “have not been retained on the sexual harassment matter."
Nationally, White House officials and leading Democrats continued to field questions about the accusations faced by Cuomo, previously considered a leading Democratic contender for president.
Hillary Clinton said in a statement that she was “glad to see that there will be a full, independent, and thorough investigation."
"These stories are difficult to read, and the allegations brought forth raise serious questions that the women who have come forward and all New Yorkers deserve answers to," Clinton said.
Cuomo was secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton.
At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki cited the independent investigation in declining to directly criticize Cuomo, saying she would “leave it to that process, to the attorney general, to make a determination on the path forward." But, she said, the allegations were difficult to hear.
“That story was incredibly uncomfortable to read as a woman, and we certainly believe that every woman coming forward — Charlotte, Lindsey — should be treated with respect and dignity and be able to tell their story and treated with respect,” Psaki said.
Anna Gronewold and Nick Niedzwiadek contributed to this report.