New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) on Monday derided a report on allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women as a “political firecracker,” delivering a defiant farewell address on his final day in office before his resignation takes effect.
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“The attorney general’s report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic, and it worked,” Cuomo said, reiterating that his initial instinct was to fight what he characterized as an “unfair and unjust” investigation of his actions.
But, he said, “prolonging this situation could only cause governmental paralysis, and that is not an option for you and not an option for the state, especially now.”
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The governor’s taped valedictory, congratulatory speech did not specifically mention the women who have accused him of sexual harassment and the various county prosecutors now probing his conduct. He also did not address a variety of other federal and state investigations — including probes into how his administration handled nursing homes during the pandemic, whether state resources were used in the writing of his book about the crisis and how his administration provided preferential coronavirus tests for his relatives when they were scarce.
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Cuomo announced plans to resign on Aug. 10 in an effort to head off a looming impeachment effort in the state Assembly that was triggered by an inquiry overseen by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The investigation found that he also oversaw an unlawful attempt to exact retribution against one of his accusers.
It was a surreal final day of the Cuomo era before his expected departure at 11:59 p.m. Monday. Many of his staffers had cleared out, while others waited in limbo to see whether they would be hired by incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).
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Cuomo’s aides spent part of the day trying to rebut a report in the Albany Times Union that he had left his dog Captain after moving out of the governor’s mansion. A Cuomo spokesman disputed that, saying the governor was only seeking temporary dog care while he heads out on a planned vacation.
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After announcing his resignation, Cuomo said he would serve two final weeks to assure a smooth transition. He has barely been seen in public or private since then. Movers were spotted by the New York Post over the weekend taking his possessions to the home of his sister, Maria Cuomo Cole, and her husband, the fashion designer Kenneth Cole.
Ahead of his address Monday, which Cuomo also used to tick off accomplishments of his three terms, his top aide, Melissa DeRosa, issued a statement saying that Cuomo would not seek political office again.
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“He looks forward to spending time with his family and has a lot of fishing to catch up on,” DeRosa said. “He is exploring a number of options, but has no interest in running for office again.”
DeRosa had resigned herself earlier this month, after the attorney general’s report mentioned her 187 times and showed her behind some of the administration’s most questionable decisions, including releasing the personnel file of an accuser in a bid to silence her. But she later decided to stay with Cuomo as he finished his term and has posted positive messages online about the governor since.
Cuomo report spotlights role of top aide Melissa DeRosa in trying to contain sexual harassment crisis
Cuomo will be replaced at midnight by Hochul, the lieutenant governor, who will be New York’s first female governor and will serve out the rest of Cuomo’s term until the next election in November 2022. Hochul named some of her top officials on Monday, including a replacement for DeRosa, but has not yet picked a lieutenant governor to replace herself.
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In his remarks, Cuomo said he thinks Hochul “will step up to the challenge,” but he took a not so thinly veiled swipe at outgoing New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) in the final seconds of his last speech as governor. Cuomo advisers have said he is fixated on the feud, which has manifested itself in dozens of topics, including the response to the coronavirus.
“Eric Adams will be the next mayor of New York City,” Cuomo said, referring to the Democratic nominee in the November election. “I think you’ll bring a new philosophy and competence to the position which can give New York City residents hope for the future.”
Cuomo also thanked his staff and family, saying, “Public service is a family affair.”
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He did not delve into the specifics of James’s report as he opened his remarks Monday.
“There will be another time to talk about the truth and ethics of the recent situation involving me,” he said. “But let me say now that when government politicizes allegations and the headlines condemn without facts, you undermine the justice system. And that doesn’t serve women, and it doesn’t serve men or society.”
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Cuomo said he was proud of his record as governor, listing several accomplishments, including reducing the coronavirus caseload in New York.
“Please don’t forget what we learned together last year and don’t forget what we accomplished,” he said. “We went from the highest infection rate in the nation to the lowest.”
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In part of his speech, he gave advice to his successor, who has not appeared with him at public briefings and has barely spoken to Cuomo in recent years. Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic — once heralded as an antidote to President Donald Trump — has come under investigative scrutiny in recent months, and a federal probe into how his administration tallied nursing home deaths continues.
Michael Scherer contributed to this report.