All four Queens congresswomen call on Cuomo to resign

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Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Grace Meng, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velazquez have each called on Gov. Cuomo to resign. Photos via U.S. House

Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Grace Meng, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velazquez have each called on Gov. Cuomo to resign. Photos via U.S. House

By David Brand

Update: Friday, March 12, 2:44 p.m. — This story has been updated with a response from Rep. Tom Suozzi.

Queens’ four female congressmembers called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign Friday in a series of statements released in coordination with other members of New York City’s House delegation. 

U.S. Reps. Grace Meng, Carolyn Maloney, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velazquez each issued statements urging Cuomo to step down amid numerous accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment. Cuomo is also facing intense scrutiny for concealing nursing home death totals. 

“The mounting sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo are alarming,” Meng said. “The challenges facing our state and New Yorkers are unprecedented, and I believe he is unable to govern effectively. The Governor should resign for the good of our state.” 

New York City representatives Jerrold Nadler, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat and Jamaal Bowman also urged Cuomo to resign Friday.

The three men representing parts of Queens — Reps. Gregory Meeks, Hakeem Jeffries and Tom Suozzi — have not called on Cuomo to resign.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Suozzi said Cuomo “is entitled to due process on the many serious and disturbing allegations that have been made against him.”

He said that Cuomo must “seriously consider” whether he can govern amid multiple scandals.

“If he cannot effectively govern with all of the controversy surrounding him, he must put the interests of all New Yorkers first and he should resign,” Suozzi added.

Jeffries last week called the accusations “very serious.”

In a joint statement, Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman cited the most recent accusation from an aide to the governor who told the Albany Times Union that Cuomo lured her to his home on false pretenses, reached under her blouse and groped her.   

“The fact that this latest report was so recent is alarming, and it raises concerns about the present safety and well-being of the administration’s staff,” Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman said. 

They also referenced an investigation by Attorney General Letitia James that “found the Cuomo administration hid data on COVID-19 nursing home deaths from both the public and the state legislature.”

On Thursday, 55 state lawmakers — including 14 from Queens — issued a joint statement calling on Cuomo to “step aside.” The Assembly on Thursday moved to commence a formal impeachment investigation.

That investigation coincides with an independent probe commissioned by James.

Cuomo told reporters Friday that he would not resign and that many of the allegations were untrue.

“Women have a right to come forward and be heard and I encourage that fully,” Cuomo said. “But I also want to be clear there’s a question of the truth.” 

He said he has never touched anyone inappropriately and said he awaited the results of the Assembly and attorney general probes.

“People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture and the truth.”