Sen. Shelley Mayer’s Statement Calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to Resign

“There has been a deeply disturbing pattern of women alleging sexual harassment by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Yesterday’s allegation of groping was, frankly, for me, the last straw. Sadly, these allegations come on top of the apparently intentional withholding of information on nursing home deaths and safety in construction issues on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. I do not see how the State of New York can be led during this crisis by this Governor. We have a state budget due in 20 days, and critical decisions to be made regarding education, economic recovery and pandemic relief. The Governor’s actions have undermined his ability to lead, and he must resign. 

I salute the courage of women who come forward to speak out about sexual harassment in the workplace, or wherever harassment may occur. Their voices must be heard and taken seriously. The Governor’s ‘apology’ to date is insufficient and legally irrelevant to the charge of sexual harassment at work.

This turbulent time for the Executive Chamber continues to cause undue disruption for New Yorkers as we work toward COVID recovery and an on-time and balanced state budget, including allocation of the federal aid expected under the American Rescue Plan Act. I remain focused on ensuring New York State and our community recovers from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout.”