The White House declined to join the chorus of Democrats calling on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to be impeached after an independent investigation found he had sexually harassed 11 women and retaliated against one.
“The president made clear yesterday that Gov. Cuomo should resign, and I believe we should start with that,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday.
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Biden urged Cuomo to stand aside after the three-term governor, who is up for reelection next year, delivered defiant remarks following the release of the New York Attorney General’s Office report into sexual misconduct allegations against him.
Biden would not be phoning Cuomo to implore him to resign in person, Psaki said. Psaki was not “aware of” any White House officials who had spoken to the governor or his aides, she added.
But Psaki was adamant the White House would still collaborate with Cuomo’s administration on his state’s effort “to fight COVID.”
Biden similarly declined to weigh in on Cuomo’s possible impeachment when asked about the prospect this week. Cuomo was rumored to be on Biden’s shortlist for attorney general and is the immediate past chairman of the National Governors Association.
New York Attorney General Letitia James released a report on Tuesday saying that Cuomo violated state and federal laws when he sexually harassed current and former employees, including a state trooper who was part of his protective detail, as well as women outside his administration. He retaliated against one of his 11 accusers too, her office found.
James’s office published all 165 pages of its Cuomo report after interviewing 179 people, including the governor, and reviewing 74,000 pieces of evidence.
Cuomo denied the allegations on Tuesday, insisting he “never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.” He likened James’s report to “trial by newspaper or biased reviews,” refusing to resign.
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“I am 63 years old. I have lived my entire adult life in public view. That is just not who I am,” he said.
