State Sen. Anna Kaplan Joins Calls For Gov. Cuomo To Resign

GREAT NECK, NY — New York Sen. Anna Kaplan on Tuesday joined the Nassau County legislative majority, as well as congressional Democrats, in urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign after a new report alleged that he sexually harassed 11 women.

The 165-page report, released by State Attorney General Letitia James, claims that the third-term Democrat's behavior violated federal and state law and contributed to a toxic work culture that was "rife with fear and intimidation." The findings concluded that Cuomo harassed multiple women — including members of his staff, a state trooper on his protective detail, and members of the public.

Kaplan (D-North Hills) released a statement shortly after the report was released, saying Cuomo's behavior "leaves absolutely no room for (him) to continue to lead our state."

"As I stated previously, the results of the Attorney General's investigation should dictate whether or not the Governor continues to serve in a position of honor as the leader of the Empire State, and the stunning conclusions of the investigation, that the Governor engaged in a pattern of unlawful, sex-based harassment, leaves absolutely no room for the Governor to continue to lead our state," she wrote.

If Cuomo doesn't immediately resign, she added, the legislature must then "aggressively pursue impeachment."

Her call for Cuomo's resignation aligns with the demands of other Democrats from Nassau County.

On Tuesday, the Nassau County legislative majority called the report's findings "deeply disturbing and unacceptable."

"The Majority demands that the Governor step down immediately," lawmakers said in a statement.

Echoing that sentiment, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said: "The Attorney General's findings are clear. The Governor must resign immediately."

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, who is running for Nassau district attorney, agreed that the time has come for Cuomo to step down. If he doesn't, Kaminsky said Cuomo should be impeached.

Cuomo was interviewed by James' office two weeks ago. The governor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, including after the report was released. At a news conference on Tuesday, Cuomo said he "never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances." He also alleged that his accusers misconstrued his comments and actions.

Rep. Kathleen Rice, a congressional Democrat from Nassau County, said Cuomo's "response further corroborates what the Attorney General and independent investigators found."

"(H)e encourages and perpetuates a hostile work environment, where victim-blaming and gaslighting are commonplace," she said. "The whole Executive Chamber needs to be cleaned out."

Rice had previously joined others in the New York congressional delegation based on the "deeply disturbing" report by the attorney general and called for the governor to resign.

Sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo first surfaced in late 2020, while he was still riding high on his popularity for his perceived handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eleven women ultimately leveled allegations of inappropriate behavior against the governor, including a former aide who said that he asked questions about her sex life and whether she was monogamous in her relationships, according to The New York Times.

For nearly five months, New York's attorney general oversaw a non-criminal investigation into Cuomo's alleged behavior. The investigation, which was led by two outside lawyers, concluded that the 11 accusers were telling the truth.

Despite Tuesday's findings, Cuomo announced that he would not resign from his post.

Patch's Jerry Barmash contributed to this report.