Pelosi says Cuomo sexual harassment accusers should be believed – but DOESN’T call for NY governor to resign
NANCY Pelosi has refused to call for Andrew Cuomo’s resignation despite claiming she has a “zero tolerance” rule for sexual assault and harassment accusations.
The House Speaker on Sunday said that the women who have made sexual harassment allegations against the New York Democratic should be believed, but failed to join the growing list demanding he step down.
Ms Pelosi made the comments in an interview with the ABC’S ‘This Week’, saying Cuomo “should look inside his heart – he loves New York – to see if he can govern effectively.”
She went on: “What I said at the time that these revelations came forward, I said what these women have said must be treated with respect.”
“They are credible and serious charges, and then I called for an investigation. I have confidence in the Attorney General of New York.”
”Again, with all respect in the world for what these women have come forward and said.”
The House Speaker insisted she had “no tolerance” for sexual assault, adding “this is a subject very near and dear to my heart. This is – no tolerance for sexual harassment. I’ll let the world know that.’”
But when asked why she wasn’t calling for Cuomo’s resignation, Ms Pelosi said: “I think we should see the results of the [investigation],” she said of the attorney general probe into the allegations.
It came as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said an investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo should be completed before any action is taken against him.
Also speaking to ABC News, Mr Christie pointed out that state Attorney General Letitia James has launched a probe into the claims and appointed two lawyers to assist her with it.
Mr Christie said: “Let them do the investigation” and if it confirms the claims, “then action will have to be taken. ”
Mr Christie said he is following the same advice he counseled after former President Donald Trump faced claims from Democrats.
He explained: “I can’t be a hypocrite on this. I sat here for years when Democrats were demanding things of President Trump before investigations were completed and I would say, ‘Wait, we’ve got to let the investigation go forward, let’s hear all the facts and then let’s make a decision’.”
“Well, if I’m going to sit there and say that about Donald Trump, which I did, then I have to say exactly the same thing about Andrew Cuomo if I’m going to be consistent.”
He said Cuomo should receive the same consideration given to Trump.
Calls have this week increased for the governor to resign after allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted advanced have emerged.
Cuomo’s governor job appears to be hanging by a thread after at least 121 members of the state Assembly and Senate called on him to quit, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
Calls have this week increased for the governor to resign after allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted advanced have emerged.
Cuomo’s governor job appears to be hanging by a thread after at least 121 members of the state Assembly and Senate called on him to quit, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
The count includes 65 Democrats and 56 Republicans.
As of Friday morning, a raft of powerful Democratic members of New York’s congressional delegation had called on the governor to quit.
The members include Kathleen Rice, Jerry Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Grace Meng, Mondaire Jones, Yvette Clarke, Nydia Velazquez, Adriano Espaillat, Anthony Delgado, and Carolyn Maloney.
Dozens of women came forward on Friday also detailing an environment of bullying and harassment facilitated by Cuomo.
The latest sex harassment claim that he “groped an aide under her shirt” had been reported to police.
While Cuomo has apologized for “making anyone feel uncomfortable,” the Democrat has maintained that he “never touched anyone inappropriately.”
He has denied any wrongdoing and vowed not to resign, saying he won’t be removed by “cancel culture.”
Lindsay Boylan was the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, claiming he asked her to play “strip poker” once, and kissed her without consent another time.
Cuomo has denied the allegations.
Another former staffer, Charlotte Bennett, alleged that Cuomo sexually propositioned her, telling her he was “lonely” and he wanted a girlfriend and was willing to sleep with a younger woman.
A third woman, Anna Ruch, also came forward and told The New York Times that Cuomo touched her lower back, then grabbed her cheeks and asked to kiss her at a September 2019 wedding.
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Another two former staffers, Ana Liss and Karen Hinton, also made allegations of unwanted attention from Cuomo.
Federal investigators are also scrutinizing how the Cuomo administration handled data about how many nursing home residents have died of Covid.
The governor and his aides argued for months that it couldn’t release full figures on deaths because it had yet to verify the data.