Multiple N.Y. House Democrats call on Andrew Cuomo to resign in harassment scandal

Ten more House Democrats from New York, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called on Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign on Friday amid a sexual harassment scandal. 

“The repeated accusations against the Governor, and the manner in which he has responded to them, have made it impossible for him to continue to govern at this point,” Mr. Nadler said. “Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of the people of New York. Governor Cuomo must resign.”

The lawmakers joined Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York, who was the first House Democrat from the state to call for Mr. Cuomo to step down.

House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney also was among those urging Mr. Cuomo to step down. The others are Reps. Jamal Bowman, Mondaire Jones, Grace Meng, Yvette Clark, Adriano Espaillat, Nydia Velasquez and Anthony Delgado. 

“As members of the New York delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, we believe these women, we believe the reporting, we believe the Attorney General, and we believe the fifty-five members of the New York State legislature, including the State Senate Majority Leader, who have concluded that Governor Cuomo can no longer effectively lead in the face of so many challenges,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and Mr. Bowman said in a joint statement.

Among the New York lawmakers who still support Mr. Cuomo is Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a member of House leadership. 

Their move came a day after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and 59 New York state lawmakers called for  Mr. Cuomo to resign. The governor has refused, urging the public to await the outcome of a state attorney general’s investigation.

Also on Thursday New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie authorized an impeachment investigation into Mr. Cuomo.

Six women have accused Mr. Cuomo of sexual harassment, including a current aide who said the governor groped her at his official residence late last year.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who led the effort to force Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota to resign over harassment allegations, has refused to call on Mr. Cuomo to step down.