Biden, Pelosi stop short of calling on Cuomo to resign
US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have stopped short of calling on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign over sexual harassment allegations against him.
Cuomo, a Democrat, faces at least seven allegations of inappropriate behavior, but so far has refused to step down. He is also the subject of an impeachment investigation after the speaker of the New York State Assembly authorized the judiciary committee to start the probe this week.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Biden, when asked about the allegations, said, "I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us."
The comment by the Democratic president came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also declined to call for Cuomo’s resignation despite dozens of top Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., calling for his ouster.
Speaking with ABC's "This Week," Pelosi described the charges as "credible and serious," adding there is "no tolerance" for sexual harassment, though the public should wait to see the results of the probe led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
She went on to say that "people have to look inside themselves and say — and Gov. Cuomo also, are they — how effective is their leadership in leading the state under the circumstances that are there?"
"What I’m saying is the governor should look inside his heart — he loves New York — to see if he can govern effectively," she said.
Asked by NBC News following the interview why she was refusing to call on Cuomo to resign while Schumer has do so, Pelosi said, "He's a New Yorker and I'm not."
Cuomo has faced allegations of groping and unwanted kissing, and women, who have come out against him, have also said he asked personal questions about their sex lives and made other inappropriate comments in the workplace.
Schumer along with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand have joined others to call on Cuomo to resign. The two senators said in a joint statement on Friday that it would be difficult for him to continue to govern given the controversies.
"Due to the multiple, credible sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it is clear that Governor Cuomo has lost the confidence of his governing partners and the people of New York. Governor Cuomo should resign,” the two said in a statement.
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