Addressing the allegations on Friday, Cuomo said at a news conference to “let the review proceed. I will not resign.”
“I did not do what was alleged, period. I am not going to speculate on the possible motives of the people,” he continued.
He also, without naming names, attacked lawmakers who called him to resign, saying that politicians who take positions “without knowing the facts” are “reckless and dangerous” and bowing to “cancel the culture”.
Thirteen New York City Democrats said on Friday that Cuomo must step down, arguing that the charges hindered his ability to govern and effectively serve the people of New York.
A source familiar with the conversations that preceded Friday’s coordinated request for Cuomo’s resignation said the group was in contact as the charges escalated, but only agreed to move forward together on Thursday. They decided to wait until Friday morning to go public, in order not to step on President Joe Biden’s speech on Thursday night.
The source said the tipping point for members was a combination of the most recent events, including State Assembly President Carl Heastie’s announcement on Thursday that Democrats would launch an impeachment investigation. The decision to enter, almost all at the same time, was also an acknowledgment that when someone called, it would increase the pressure on everyone else.
They join MP Kathleen Rice, who earlier this month became the first of 19 Democrats in the New York City delegation to call for Cuomo’s resignation.
In separate statements on Friday, fellow Democratic MPs Grace Meng, Nydia Velázquez, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Mondaire Jones, Antonio Delgado, Sean Patrick Maloney, Brian Higgins and Paul Tonko also urged Cuomo to step down as governor.
The government has left out of Covid-19 the deaths of residents who have been transferred off-site or to hospitals, said a statement from Attorney General Letitia James’ Office. Although the report found that the overall death toll did not change, it did lead to a misrepresentation of Covid-19’s death toll at New York’s long-term care facility.
Cuomo and his government defended his decision, arguing that, with the Department of Justice and New York state lawmakers asking questions, the federal inquiry has become his priority. The governor denied any suggestion of wrongdoing.
Nadler said on Friday that the charges against Cuomo are “serious” and credible and that Cuomo is “guaranteed due process,” but the question of trust in the New York leader is “political judgment”.
“The bravery that individuals have shown in coming to share their experiences with Governor Cuomo is inspiring and I am with them in support,” he said. “The repeated accusations against the governor and the way he responded to them made it impossible for him to continue to govern at this time.”
Several Democrats said on Friday that the investigation by New York State Attorney General Letitia James over Cuomo’s behavior should continue.
Appearing on ABC’s “The View” program on Thursday, Schumer said the charges against Cuomo were “very worrying” and should be thoroughly investigated by the state attorney general, but did not say that Cuomo should step down.
Gillibrand also did not ask for Cuomo’s resignation and supports the New York attorney general’s investigation. On Wednesday, she refused to argue with CNN because she views the charges against Cuomo differently than the charges that Franken faced.
She, however, called Cuomo’s behavior “completely unacceptable” and said that any allegation of sexual harassment “should be taken seriously and reviewed”.
Democratic Representative Hakeem Jeffries, who also serves as President of the Caucus Democrat, told CNN last week that he did not think Cuomo should resign, instead calling for “a thorough, fair and independent investigation”.
Asked on Friday in the light of peer pressure to Cuomo resign, Jeffries’ spokeswoman Christie Stephenson told CNN that the congressman’s position has not changed.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House had no updates when asked whether Biden believes Cuomo should resign, given the constant flow of New York officials and lawmakers calling for the governor’s resignation.
“The president believes that every woman who presents herself … deserves to have her voice heard, must be treated with respect and must be able to tell her story,” said Psaki, adding that Biden believes that the independent investigation must move forward.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Manu Raju and Ali Zaslav contributed to this report.