(Reuters) – Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler and several other New York political leaders on Friday joined calls for Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him in recent weeks.
“This week, the second sexual assault allegation and the sixth harassment allegation was leveled against Governor Cuomo,” Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman, a Congressman from New York, said in a statement.
“The fact that this latest report was so recent is alarming, and it raises concerns about the present safety and well-being of the administration’s staff. These allegations have all been consistent and highly-detailed, and there are also credible media reports substantiating their accounts.”
Cuomo, 63, has denied all allegations by the women, most of whom are former aides, and has said he will not resign.
The new calls for his resignation come a day after New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said he had authorized its Judiciary Committee to start an impeachment investigation into sexual misconduct allegations that six women have made against Cuomo.
The panel’s investigation will run parallel to one being led by state Attorney General Letitia James.
Cuomo has asked the public to await the results of that investigation before making judgment.
(reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut; editing by John Stonestreet)
