Schumer, Gillibrand renew calls for Cuomo to resign after ‘profoundly distrubing’ report

New York lawmakers Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) on Tuesday called the findings of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) “profoundly disturbing, inappropriate and completely unacceptable.”

They said the 165-page report released by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) largely corroborated allegations made against Cuomo by 11 women and reiterated their call — first made in March — for him to resign.

The independent inquiry launched by the attorney general found that Cuomo sexually harassed several women and broke state and federal laws. 

“Today’s report from the New York state attorney general substantiated and corroborated the allegations of the brave women who came forward to share their stories — and we commend the women for doing so,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in a joint statement.

“No elected official is above the law. The people of New York deserve better leadership in the governor’s office. We continue to believe that the governor should resign,” they added.

Gillibrand, a leading advocate on combating sexual harassment, earlier in the day told reporters that the findings of the state attorney general were “deeply, deeply disturbing.”

“As I’ve said before, these allegations are deeply disturbing, and I’m just reading the report now, and the factual evidence along with the fact that these facts have been corroborated, the fact that there are 11 women coming forward is deeply, deeply disturbing,” she said. “As I said already, these actions [are] inappropriate for the governor of New York state.”

Gillibrand, who has led a Senate effort to crack down on sexual assault in the military, added: “My heart goes out to the women who have come forward.”

She made her comments to reporters shortly before Schumer, New York’s senior senator, was scheduled to give his weekly press conference with Capitol reporters. Schumer got out in front of questions by delivering his joint statement with Gillibrand shortly before 2 p.m.

Their first calls on Cuomo to resign in March had little effect.

The embattled governor appeared to survive the first wave of calls for him to step down, but the pressure has increased.

James’s report lays out two additional allegations of harassment that were not previously reported and found that Cuomo retaliated against at least one of his accusers.  

Cuomo on Tuesday pushed back against the report, claiming the “facts are much different than what has been portrayed.”

“I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” he said. “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.”