#MeToo: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Refuses To Resign Over Sexual Harassment Scandal

Emmy-winning New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday (Mar 2) he would not resign over a sexual harassment scandal and requested Americans to await the outcome of an independent investigation into his conduct.

During his first press briefing since being accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, Cuomo offered an apologised for his actions but said he would not resign from office

“I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional, and I truly and deeply apologize for it,” Cuomo said. T

The governor insisted that he “never touched anyone inappropriately” and “certainly never ever meant to hurt anyone….That is the last thing that I would have wanted.”

“I’m not going to resign,” the 63-year-old told reporters during the briefing. “I’m going to do the job that the people of the state elected me to do.”

Cuomo pleaded to the people of this state to wait for the attorney general’s report to form an opinion over the allegations.

“Make the decision when you know the facts,” the governor said.

Earlier this week, the governor’s office granted New York attorney general Letitia James the power to conduct an independent investigation into the matter. James has promised to publish the results in a public report.

No deadline has been set for the investigation, which could last months.

Three women, including two former aides, have have come forward over the past week to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment. In one incident the governor allegedly kissed an aide on the lips without consent, while another aide said Cuomo asked intrusive questions about her sex life, including whether she would be willing to have sex with an older man.

Last week former aide Lindsey Boylan described unwanted physical contact from Cuomo when she worked for his administration, from 2015 to 2018.

Days after Boylan’s allegation another ex-aide, Charlotte Bennett, told The New York Times that Cuomo sexually harassed her last year.

In a third allegation Monday, Anna Ruch, 33, told the Times that Cuomo had put his hand on her bare lower back -- which she pushed away -- and asked if he could kiss her during a wedding reception in September 2019.

Cuomo is also facing severe criticism for his inept handling of Covid-19 pandemic. The state's policy during the early days of the pandemic that required nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients returning from hospitals is likely contributed to 50 percent more deaths than the Cuomo administration initially reported, according to h state attorney general Letitia James.

New York is the worst-affected Covid state in the country.

In Nov last year, the Emmy organization announced that Cuomo will receive an Emmy award for his coronavirus press briefings.

“The Governor's 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure," president and CEO of the Emmy academy, Bruce Paisner, said in a statement when announcing the decision. "People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back."