But his legal troubles aren’t over. Here’s what’s next.
After days of denying wrongdoing and resisting calls to step down from politicians as senior as President Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo finally let go Tuesday, announcing he would resign from office, effective in 14 days, following an explosive report about his sexual harassment of female colleagues. Here’s what you need to know about his decision — and what happens next.
What did Andrew Cuomo say about why he’s resigning?
“I would never want to be unhelpful in any way, and I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to government,” the governor explained in announcing his departure. Though he still denies he’s done anything wrong, Cuomo acknowledged the scrutiny on his behavior diverts attention from the “life and death” issues the governor’s office oversees. “Wasting energy on distraction is the last thing government should be. I cannot be the cause,” he said.
Who will replace Cuomo as the new governor of New York?
Considering that the damning details about his mistreatment of women are what pushed Cuomo out, it’s notable that the person who replaces him, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, will give New York its first-ever female governor. Hochul responded to Cuomo’s resignation with a tweet on Tuesday:
When is the next gubernatorial election?
Before this scandal erupted, it was assumed that Cuomo was an easy frontrunner for re-election in 2022, when he would have sought a fourth term. Now that he’s out, Hochul will serve until that election next year.
Even before Cuomo officially announced his resignation, Democratic heavy-hitters in the state were spinning their wheels, awaiting the fallout from the investigations into Cuomo to settle so they could begin positioning themselves to enter the fray for New York’s top job. With his resignation official, we can be sure plenty of contenders will be jockeying for position.
What’s next for Cuomo?
Though he’s leaving office, Cuomo’s legal troubles aren’t over. Five different prosecutors have indicated they are investigating his behavior within their districts, and one of his accusers has formally filed a criminal complaint against him in Albany.
There’s also the threat of civil lawsuits from other accusers, as well as separate investigations into whether Cuomo falsified data about nursing home deaths related to Covid-19 and whether he used state resources in working on his book about the pandemic, for which he received a deal worth more than $5 million.
