New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces resignation after investigation finds he sexually harassed multiple women

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced his resignation as a result of a damning investigation by the state's attorney general, which found that the third-term Democrat sexually assaulted 11 women and attempted to retaliate against one of his accusers who went public with her claims. 

Pictures: From Covid comforter to sex assault accused: New York Governor Cuomo's fall from grace

“New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York and I love you,” Cuomo said, “I would never want to be unhelpful in any way, and I think given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let the government get back to governing, and therefore, that’s what I’ll do.”

The resignation will go into effect on August 24, at which point Democratic Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take over as governor for the remainder of Cuomo’s term.

“Kathy Hochul, my lieutenant governor, is smart and competent. This transition must be seamless. We have a lot going on, I’m very worried about the delta variant, and so should you be, but she can come up to speed quickly,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo's resignation, which will take effect in 14 days, is a dramatic turnaround from a little over a year ago when he was hailed as a rising star in the Democratic Party for his administration's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. 

Even that performance is now being questioned, as a separate investigation by the attorney general discovered that the number of nursing facility fatalities reported by the state was considerably higher than authorities claimed. 

Since February, at least seven women, including many former aides, have come forward to describe uncomfortable interactions with Cuomo. 

(With inputs from agencies)