Outgoing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo seems to feel like he was railroaded out of his job. During an August 10 news conference where he announced his plan to resign in two weeks, Cuomo acknowledged behaving boorishly but insisted he didn’t sexually harass any of the 11 women who have accused him of that. “I never crossed the line with anyone,” Cuomo said, “but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
Given that he’s finally resigning, maybe it doesn’t matter how the 63-year-old Cuomo rationalizes his actions on his way out the door. But if Cuomo were a CEO instead of a governor, he would have been gone months ago, with far less control over the timing of his departure or the accompanying narrative. And as a politician rather than a businessman, Cuomo may have better luck with the comeback he’s undoubtedly hoping for.
The Cuomo allegations first surfaced last December, when a former aide claimed publicly that Cuomo harassed her and then demoted her when she spurned his advances. Another woman alleged harassment in February, followed by several more.