Late on Friday, The New York Times breaks that a current aide is accusing Governor Andrew Cuomo of harassment. The Time writes that Alyssa McGrath is the first current aide to step forward.
“He called her and her co-worker “mingle mamas.” He inquired about her lack of a wedding ring, she said, and the status of her divorce. She recalled him telling her she was beautiful — in Italian — and, as she sat alone with him in his office awaiting dictation, he gazed down her shirt and commented on a necklace hanging there.”
New York Times
They elected him four times – including a stint as their state’s Attorney General – but now New York voters want embattled Governor to go away.
A new poll – first obtained by City & State – reveals that nearly 60% of likely New York voters think Cuomo should resign immediately “over recent sexual harassment allegations and concealing how many nursing home residents died of COVID-19.” Just over 40% think he should not resign.
The establishment Democrat, who planned to run for a historic fourth term as New York Governor is 2022, faces a slew of sexual harassment allegations and the claim that he created a toxic work environment. A former Cuomo aide recently told The New York Times, “If you are a woman who wants to focus on work, [the governor’s office] is the worst place to be.”
The Cuomo administration is also reeling from an investigation into his handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Initially, investigators were probing if Cuomo intentionally misreported data pertaining to nursing home deaths. On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal revealed that the inquiry has expanded:
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn are investigating a push by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration to enact broad protections for nursing homes from lawsuits and criminal prosecution early in the Covid-19 pandemic, according to people familiar with the matter.
Nursing homes were included in a provision giving liability immunity to doctors, hospitals and their executives, as well as healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak last spring, surprising some lawmakers and healthcare officials. The provision’s language originated in Mr. Cuomo’s office and was presented to state lawmakers in final drafts of the state’s $178 billion budget, according to lawmakers and legislative officials.
The new poll also reveals that only 18% of New York democrats would vote to re-elect Cuomo. 67% think its time “for someone new.” Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are among the many elected officials calling for Cuomo’s resignation.