Biden calls for Cuomo to step down

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called on Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign following a report by the New York attorney general's office that concluded Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women.

"I think he should resign," Biden told reporters at the White House.

The president's response came four months after Biden said that if an investigation confirmed allegations of sexual harassment against Cuomo, then the governor should step down. Biden said Tuesday that he stood by his March statement.

Asked whether Cuomo should be removed from office if he refuses to resign, Biden said, "I understand the state Legislature may decide to impeach; I do not know that for a fact."

Shortly after Biden's response, New York state House Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat, announced that the chamber would seek to quickly conclude its impeachment inquiry.

The governor, now in his third term, denied the allegations during a speech Tuesday and reiterated his contention that he had never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate comments, declaring that "the facts are much different from what has been portrayed".

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday released the report that said Cuomo sexually harassed numerous women, including current and former government workers, breaking state and federal laws as well as the executive chamber's own written policies.

The 165-page report provided corroborated accounts of harassment by the Democratic governor that included unwanted groping, kissing, hugging and inappropriate comments, including claims from one executive assistant who says Cuomo reached under her blouse and grabbed her breast.

Several of Cuomo's accusers demanded swifter action, calling on the governor to leave office immediately. Some Democratic and Republican state lawmakers joined them, along with onetime Cuomo allies including county executives and leaders of left-leaning groups.

"It is beyond clear that Andrew Cuomo is not fit to hold office and can no longer serve as Governor. He must resign, and if he continues to resist and attack the investigators who did their jobs, he should be impeached immediately," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

"No elected official is above the law. The people of New York deserve better leadership in the governor's office," two Democratic senators from New York, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, said in a joint statement. "We continue to believe that the Governor should resign."

Cuomo said, "I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances. I am 63 years old. I have lived my entire adult life in public view. That is just not who I am, and that's not who I have ever been."

The nearly five-month investigation found that Cuomo engaged in "unwelcome and nonconsensual touching" and made comments of a "suggestive" sexual nature, the attorney general said at a news conference on Tuesday.

The probe involved 179 witnesses and reviewed 74,000 pieces of evidence, the investigators said. Eleven women had accused Cuomo of a range of inappropriate behavior; nine of them are current or former state employees.

"These interviews and pieces of evidence revealed a deeply disturbing yet clear picture: Governor Cuomo sexually harassed current and former state employees in violation of federal and state laws," James said.

Cuomo's behavior wasn't limited to members of his own staff, but extended to other state employees, including a state trooper on his protective detail, as well as members of the public, the AG report said.

The investigation was conducted by two outside lawyers hired by James: Joon Kim, a former top federal prosecutor, and Anne Clark, a well-known employment lawyer.

"We also conclude that the Executive Chamber's culture — one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor's frequent flirtations and gender-based comments — contributed to the conditions that allowed the sexual harassment to occur and persist," investigators Kim and Clark wrote in the report.

Cuomo faced several allegations last winter that he inappropriately touched and sexually harassed women who worked with him or whom he met at public events. One aide in his office said he groped her breast.

Another, Lindsey Boylan, said Cuomo kissed her on the lips after a meeting in his office and "would go out of his way to touch me on my lower back, arms and legs".

Other aides have said that the governor asked them unwelcome personal questions about sex and dating. One former aide, Charlotte Bennett, said Cuomo asked if she was open to sex with an older man.

The attorney general's report states Cuomo made specific denials of conduct that complainants recalled clearly, but investigators said, "we found his denials to lack credibility and to be inconsistent with the weight of evidence obtained during our investigation".

Cuomo was questioned by investigators from the attorney general's office for more than 11 hours last month. He admitted to certain behavior while denying other allegations, investigators said. For example, Clark said, he conceded asking Bennett whether she had been involved with older men and said he may have kissed the state trooper at an event but denied touching her.