Opinion: Should NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Resign?

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By Nikki Slusher

I want to give our readers a trigger warning before reading this article any further. I am about to discuss some very sensitive topics including sexual harassment, trafficking, and other aspects of these topics that may be painful for survivors of these horrendous acts to read. It is not my intention to bring up anything that may be traumatic for our Ringside family.

Now let me get straight to the point. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was found to have sexually harassed 11 women by the state’s attorney general. The conclusion of the investigation also confirms that Cuomo’s actions violated state and federal laws. NY AG Letitia James’ 165-page report also revealed three accounts of the Governor’s misgivings that had not been previously reported.

Cuomo had touched multiple former and current state employees inappropriately, made unwarranted comments to the women, and even grabbed one women’s rear while running his fingers between another women’s breast during separate occasions. This behavior is absolutely atrocious and should not be taken lightly. There needs to be consequences for these actions, apologies made, and support provided to the brave women who spoke up before more lives were affected by Cuomo’s negligence in containing his impulses; or that he could abuse his power to get women to conform to his desires.

I have always believed these women. As a woman, I’ve seen and have even experienced situations where some people have done some questionable things. So the revelations of Gov. Cuomo’s actions naturally angered me, just as they have with many others. This has led to calls for his resignation from state and federal leaders, including his once close ally President Joe Biden.

Im not opposed to the idea. Should we continue letting men in power remain in these positions after such allegations are revealed? The answer most of us will say is hell no for obvious reasons. But my stance on Gov. Cuomo’s calls for resignation has me hesitant to automatically strip him of his office. Before anyone jumps down my throat and calls for Brad to remove my column, hear me out. What Gov. Cuomo has done is indisputable that it is inappropriate and wrong, but why must he resign when we have multiple leaders in Congress and state offices across the nation who are accused of heinous crimes themselves and have yet to resign or be removed from office?

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) covered up molestation while coaching wrestling at Ohio State University. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is under federal investigation for his role in paying women, including a 17 year old girl, for sex while engaging in drug fueled parties in and outside the state of Florida with other Florida republican leaders. Former President Donald Trump was accused of numerous rapes, including some as young as a 13 year old girl and his own ex-wife.

It doesn’t just stop at sexual abuse accusations either. For instance, Congressmen Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Mo Brooks (R-AL), and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) have all been implicated by the top coordinator for January 6th as helping plan, fund, and ultimately pull off an attempted coup at the US Capitol. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has way too many list, but sedition, treason, and tax fraud are just a few allegations she is facing. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) allegedly gave rioters tours of the Capitol the day before the insurrection. Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton has been under federal investigation for five years after his own office turned him in for using his office to serve the interests of political donors (remember he filed the suit against election fraud with other AG’s to overturn other states’ election results from Biden to Trump and was thrown out as a joke by SCOTUS).

Those names are just at the top of a very long list of people in power that should resign or be removed from their offices. We need the same outcry against Gov. Cuomo for all these corrupt men and women. Should Gov. Cuomo resign? That completely depends on what New Yorkers decide what is best for their state. If Cuomo ends up removing or resigning, it is time to do the rest one after the over to bring back some form of accountability lost during TFG’s Scam-A-Lot years.

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