Rep. Elise Stefanik: Gov. Cuomo is a ‘criminal sexual predator’ and should resign
By Bernadette Hogan, Carl Campanile and Bruce Golding
New York Post
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is a “criminal sexual predator” who “must immediately resign” over a former aide’s detailed sexual-harassment allegations, a member of Congress from upstate New York said Wednesday.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Glens Falls) also said that “any elected official who does not immediately call for his resignation is complicit in allowing a sexual predator to continue leading the great state of New York.”
Stefanik’s remarks came after Lindsey Boylan, now a Democratic candidate for Manhattan borough president, published an online essay in which she accused Cuomo of kissing her “on the lips” without warning following a 2018 meeting in his Manhattan office.
“Governor Cuomo has earned his title as Worst Governor in America, and now every New Yorker knows that he is a criminal sexual predator,” Stefanik said in a prepared statement.
“I have served in Congress during the height of the #MeToo movement leading to resignations and retirements of my colleagues. Sexual harassment and sexual abuse in the workplace is not a political issue, it is about right and wrong. Governor Cuomo must immediately resign.”
Another member of New York’s congressional delegation, US Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) echoed Stefanik’s demand.
“I already called for Gov. Cuomo to resign over his mishandling of nursing homes, the [death toll] coverup, and for threatening Assemblyman Ron Kim,” Malliotakis told The Post.
“These allegations are disgusting and, if true, are all the more reason why Cuomo needs to go.”
Malliotakis further demanded an investigation of Boylan’s claims by the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, adding that “Cuomo appointees should recuse themselves so it is truly independent.”
SEE ALSO
Ex-aide Lindsey Boylan details sexual harassment allegations against Gov. Cuomo
State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi (D-The Bronx) also tweeted about Boylan’s accusations: “I have no doubt that this is true.”
“I’ve witnessed similar behavior, and it’s unacceptable,” Biaggi added.
“While the abuse lies mainly with the abuser, the abuse also extends to those who help keep it silent. They are complicit too.”
Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou (D-Manhattan) tweeted about Boylan, “I believe her.”
“Imagine going to work every day with this kind of fear. I know what it is like. So many of us do. It must end,” Niou wrote.
“It is never ok to normalize or accept predatory and abusive behavior.”
Cuomo’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but he’s previously denied Boylan’s allegations as “just not true.”
___
https://nypost.com/2021/02/24/rep-elise-stefanik-calls-on-gov-cuomo-to-resign/