New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reiterated his call for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign, condemning his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“He should resign right now because he’s holding up our effort to fight COVID,” de Blasio told CBS’s Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan on Sunday. “He’s literally in the way of us saving lives right now.”
FIVE OF ANDREW CUOMO’S OTHER BIGGEST SCANDALS
De Blasio, a Democrat, also referred to Cuomo’s leadership as “almost an imperial governorship.”
.@NYCMayor says embattled @NYGovCuomo is “literally in the way of us saving lives” by refusing to resign.
de Blasio added that Cuomo would “try to hold out” and is “used to getting things his way.” pic.twitter.com/4nOFDG4kjv
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 14, 2021
The mayor is among a bevy of public officials who have requested that Cuomo step down, as the New York governor faces seven allegations of sexual harassment by former administration aides, reporters, and others who have worked in the political arena.
At a press conference earlier this week, de Blasio called the allegations against Cuomo “deeply troubling” and “disgusting.” He was joined by more than 60 Democrats in calling for Cuomo to resign.
This week, New York’s two senators, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, echoed calls for Cuomo to step down. Others at the federal level who have called for Cuomo to resign include Reps. Jerry Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Carolyn Maloney.
Last week, the New York state Assembly approved an impeachment investigation against Cuomo as state Attorney General Letitia James leads an investigation over the claims.
Cuomo has denied ever touching anybody inappropriately and apologized if comments he said made anyone feel uncomfortable.
In addition to the allegations of sexual harassment, Cuomo has also been embattled over his oversight of nursing homes in the COVID-19 pandemic, after reports came out that his administration purposely misreported the number of deaths linked to the governor requesting that homes take in patients who had tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Everything was about his public image,” de Blasio said Sunday. “Everything was about his political future. It was not about what people needed. And by the way, it was about campaign contributions. The nursing home industry, the — the big hospital systems, they gave him millions and millions of dollars, and he went easy on them. And he tried to cover up for everyone. Not just him, but his donors. And I think the investigations are going to prove this, Margaret. This was a thoroughly corrupt situation, and he just needs to resign so we can actually turn the page.”
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The governor has remained adamant that he will not resign.
