Andrew Cuomo.Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images
For months, members of the New York legislature have been calling for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation. Now, after the New York Attorney General’s report that Cuomo, 63, “sexually harassed multiple women,” legislators are calling for impeachment.
“Every single day that he remains in office is dangerous,“assemblywoman Nily Rozicsays. “Because there are young women who work there, and if there is a pattern of behavior that we’ve seen in the report, that needs to end, that needs to stop immediately.”
Rozic, a Democrat, doesn’t believe Cuomo has enough friends and allies to fight impeachment.
“At this point, there’s not a single person that has spoken up to support the governor, so to me, it’s just a matter of when and how,” Rozic says. “I hope that we can do a lot to prove that sexual harassment is not tolerated in any workplace, let alone in state government.”
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthalsays the “repulsive” behavior documented in the report made her angry.
Protestors rally at Gov. Cuomo’s New York City office.Stephanie Keith/Getty
The one thought she had after reading the report was: “He must leave. He must go. He can’t be the governor anymore,” she says.
“I’ve spoken with a lot of my colleagues in the legislature, and I think every single person agrees that he needs to be relieved of his governorship,” Rosenthal says.
She adds: “Everyone who has spoken out has said, ‘He has to go.'… I think when it comes down to a vote, I don’t foresee any one person voting not to impeach.”
The National Women’s Law Center called for Cuomo’s resignation, and his removal if he refuses to resign.
“The next step is clear here,” says Uma Iyer, vice president for marketing and communications at theNational Women’s Law Center, which hosts theTime’s Up Legal Defense Fund. “Justice is not complete without accountability.”
The attorney general’s investigation was independent and fair, says Iyer. The next step, she says, is removing him from office.
“We can do better,” Iyer says. “This isn’t a birthright here. He’s not some anointed king that we’re dealing with here. He’s an elected official, he swore an oath to protect and serve. And he didn’t do that.”
source: people.com
