As the New York Assembly prepares subpoenas in the impeachment investigation of scandal–plagued Governor Andrew Cuomo, the state’s voters have a message for their embattled leader: don’t run for a fourth term.
According to a new Siena College poll, more than 60% of New Yorkers want the governor to resign immediately or not seek office again. Conversely, only a third of those surveyed support another Cuomo run.
The New York Assembly launched its investigation into Cuomo in March when numerous staffers described a toxic work environment that included sexual harassment.
The New York Attorney General’s office is also probing Cuomo’s workplace conduct. According to The Wall Street Journal:
Investigators spoke recently with Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser who is one of the governor’s principal spokespeople, the people said. He is the highest-ranking current aide to Mr. Cuomo known to have been interviewed as part of the investigation into sexual-harassment allegations against the governor overseen by Attorney General Letitia James.
The Journal adds, “The investigation has expanded to look at other possible misconduct in the office, including whether one of Mr. Cuomo’s top advisers traded access to Covid-19 vaccines for support for the governor and claims of possible retaliation against women who complained about the governor.”
The Cuomo administration is also under fire for misrepresenting the number of COVID-19 deaths that took place in nursing homes after he introduced a controversial policy to sequester infected patients there.
51% of New Yorkers approved of Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic, according to the Siena poll, but his favorability rating has dipped by over 30 percentage points in the last year.
Cuomo’s $5.1 million pandemic book deal also irked some New Yorkers, who believe he was more concerned with good publicity than effective leadership.
Many prominent New York Democrats, including Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on Cuomo to step down.
“Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign,” the senators said in a March joint statement.