Cuomo faces potentially decisive wave of calls to resign from New York members of Congress

A wave of New York Democrats including House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are demanding that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) resign amid his growing sexual misconduct scandal.

Ten House Democrats from New York on Friday morning all called for Cuomo's resignation after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment, per Axios. Nadler applauded the "bravery" of the governor's accusers and said he must step down.

"The repeated accusations against the Governor, and the manner in which he has responded to them, have made it impossible for him to continue to govern at this point," Nadler said, adding that Cuomo "has lost the confidence of the people of New York" and "must resign."

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At about the same time, Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) released their own joint statement calling for Cuomo's resignation, citing not only the sexual harassment allegations against him but also the allegations that his administration tried to cover up the true number of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents.

"Governor Cuomo can no longer effectively lead in the face of so many challenges," Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman wrote.

Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), and more Democrats from the state also issued similar calls, and CNN notes a majority of House Democrats from New York have now called for his resignation. The almost simultaneous statements seemed to be part of a "coordinated show of force," wrote CNN's Kate Bennett, while Politico's Steven Shepard pointed to the "intense pressure campaign now on Cuomo," and NBC News' Alex Seitz-Wald wrote, "The dam has broken."

On Thursday, the New York State Assembly announced it's opening an impeachment inquiry into the governor. Cuomo, who has denied touching anyone inappropriately, previously vowed, "There is no way I resign."