It’s been a tough week for the Governor of New York. Once a politician slathered in high approval ratings from his constituents and a shining star among leaders dealing with the Covid pandemic, Andrew Cuomo now faces an uncertain re-election campaign in his future as allegations of various different wrong-doings have come to light. Now the Governor is forced to play on defense as more and more demand accountability for the accusations of sexual harassment and coronavirus negligence being levied at him. 

The first of the scandals to have punctured the once deemed-infallible Democrat was his administration’s handling of nursing home data in relation to the coronavirus. The story here essentially being that Cuomo had undercounted nursing home deaths and kept it under wraps. This claim was reiterated by state attorney general Letitia James, who in a scathing report of the Governor wrote that the Covid-related deaths of nursing home residents in the state of New York may have been “undercounted by DOH (Department of Health)  by nearly 50 percent.” It was a startling contradiction to Cuomo’s reputation as a voice of transparency and accountability whilst the Covid pandemic raged on. New York was hit particularly hard, specifically in early months of the virus’s presence in the United State, and it was Governor Cuomo who was most often credited with aiding both the city and the state during those trying times. Adding fuel to the fire was Cumo’s seemingly flippant response, in which he said “Look, whether a person died in a hospital or died in a nursing home, it’s- the people died.” He went on to add, “But who cares? 28 [percent]. 33 [percent]. Died in a hospital. Died in a nursing home. They died.” 

On top of that, three women- two of whom are former staffers- have come forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment. The first of which came from former top staffer Lindsey Boylan, who issued a statement saying that Cuomo made comments that Boylan found to be uncomfortable and gave her a non consensual kiss on the lips. These allegations have been denied by Cuomo. The second woman to speak out was Charlotte Bennet, likewise a former aide of Cuomo’s. Bennet said in a piece found in the the New York Times that Cuomo would say things to her unbecoming of an authority figure and elected official, such as questioning if Bennet had been intimate with older men. Lastly, Anna Ruch is the most recent accuser, with Ruch speaking out in a New York Times piece that while attending a wedding Cumo placed his hands on her lower back, and upon Ruch removing them, Cuomo asked if he could kiss her. (Washington Post). 

With New York Attorney General James investigating the claims, Governor Cuomo has issued several statements in which he simultaneously apologized for and defended his past actions. “I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it and, frankly, I am embarrassed. And that’s not easy to say.” An earlier statement released by Cuomo contained less apologetic language, insead reading “At work sometimes I think I am being playful and make jokes that I think are funny. I do, on occasion, tease people in what I think is a good natured way…I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry about that.” 

The seemingly contradictory statements of varying degrees of guilt are consistent with the profile of Cuomo. He’s both a man credited with carrying a state while it is in clutches of a devastating pandemic through transparency and with shoving reports on the true nature of Covid-19 in nursing homes under the rug; someone who is both a fierce critic of political dishonesty and an alleged perpetrator of it. In a time of political unrest in its purest forms, Andrew Cuomo may prove to be yet one more politician unable to remain standing in a time of crisis.