Earlier this evening Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York's junior Senator Kristen Gillibrand issued a joint statement calling on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo amid multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
This follows calls for his resignation from a majority of Democrats in the New York State Legislature as well as New York's congressional delegation including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
However, these allegations are currently under investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Why are New York Democrats unwilling to await the outcome of the AG's investigation? Do they not trust her to conduct a fair and impartial investigation? After all, it was her office who confirmed that his office had misrepresented the number of nursing home deaths due to COVID-19.
Are they simply impatient? Or are they afraid James' investigation could damage the credibility of Cuomo's accusers?
The fact that Senator Gillibrand is not among those demanding Cuomo's resignation draws our attention to her railroading of former Senator Al Franken who was pushed to resign without the benefit of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him. It appears Gillibrand and New York Democrats have learned nothing.
This isn't to say there aren't grounds for Cuomo to resign. The COVID nursing home scandal certainly warrants it. As I pointed out last week, the deaths of 15,000 nursing home patients did not move Democrats to call for Cuomo's resignation but allegations of harassment did.
Right or wrong, it is hard to see how Cuomo holds on much longer. I could see a scenario where he says he won't run in 2022 but will finish his term. But those calling for his resignation would smell blood in the water and those waters would become shark infested.
Yet it still wouldn't explain why New York Democrats are unwilling to let AG James complete her investigation of Cuomo.
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