As Cuomo exits, Hochul to take office minus 'distractions'

ALBANY, N.Y. – Andrew Cuomo neared the extremity of his decade arsenic New York’s politician Monday, arsenic helium prepared to relinquish his choky grip connected authorities to Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul successful a midnight powerfulness transportation that volition interruption different solid ceiling for women successful authorities politics.

Cuomo, a Democrat, was acceptable to extremity his word astatine 11:59 p.m., conscionable nether 2 weeks aft helium announced helium would resign alternatively than look a apt impeachment conflict implicit intersexual harassment allegations.

Hochul was scheduled beryllium sworn successful arsenic New York’s archetypal pistillate politician conscionable aft midnight successful a brief, backstage ceremonial overseen by the state's main judge, Janet DiFiore.

The power successful leadership was happening successful the aftermath of Tropical Storm Henri, which narrowly missed Long Island connected Sunday but was dumping perchance unsafe amounts of rainfall implicit parts of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson River Valley, adjacent aft it was downgraded to a tropical depression.

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The tempest drew Cuomo backmost retired into nationalist presumption implicit the weekend, albeit briefly. He gave 2 televised briefings — informing New Yorkers to instrumentality the tempest earnestly with the aforesaid premix of scolding and reassurance that erstwhile made his regular COVID-19 briefings popular.

Perhaps if the tempest had been catastrophic Cuomo mightiness person been tempted to enactment disconnected his resignation. But arsenic the imaginable for information diminished, helium said determination would beryllium nary alteration successful his plans. “My last time is tomorrow," helium said Sunday.

Hochul, besides a Democrat, volition inherit immense challenges arsenic she takes implicit an medication facing disapproval for inaction successful Cuomo’s distracted last months successful office.

COVID-19 has refused to abate. Schools are acceptable to reopen successful the coming weeks, with large decisions to beryllium made astir whether to necessitate masks for students oregon vaccination for teachers. The state's economical betterment from the pandemic is inactive incomplete.

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Cuomo’s resignation comes aft an autarkic probe overseen by authorities Attorney General Letitia James concluded determination was credible grounds he'd sexually harassed astatine slightest 11 women, including an adjutant who said helium groped her bosom and has since filed a ailment with the Albany County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators besides said Cuomo’s elder unit retaliated against astatine slightest 1 of those women and worked to undermine the credibility of others.

Cuomo insists helium didn’t interaction anyone inappropriately and called the allegations “unfair” and “untruthful,” but said helium wouldn’t unit the authorities to endure an impeachment proceedings helium couldn’t win.

Separately, Cuomo was facing a legislative probe into whether helium misled the nationalist astir COVD-19 deaths successful nursing homes to support his estimation arsenic a pandemic person and improperly got assistance from authorities employees successful penning a pandemic publication that whitethorn nett him $5 million.

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Cuomo has offered fewer hints astir his plans oregon wherever he'll unrecorded aft leaving the Executive Mansion. He told New York mag successful a caller interrogation that he’s “not disappearing.”

In his resignation code Aug. 10 helium spoke with pridefulness astir his grounds of legalizing same-sex marriage, expanding paid household permission and boosting the statewide minimum wage to $15.

Hochul volition request to rapidly physique her ain squad of advisers who tin assistance steer the medication for astatine slightest the adjacent 16 months.

She plans to support connected Cuomo-era employees for 45 days to let her clip to interrogation caller hires, but said she volition not support anyone recovered to person behaved unethically. At slightest 35 employees successful the governor’s bureau person near since February, according to unit rosters.

Hochul, who said she didn’t enactment intimately with Cuomo and wasn’t alert of the harassment allegations earlier they became public, has vowed nary 1 volition ever telephone her workplace “toxic.”

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“I person a antithetic attack to governing,” Hochul said Wednesday successful Queens, adding, "I get the occupation done due to the fact that I don’t person clip for distractions, peculiarly coming into this position.”

Hochul has already said she plans to tally for a afloat four-year word adjacent year.

She’ll bash truthful arsenic the authorities Democratic Party grapples with an interior conflict betwixt mean and wide New Yorkers.

Hochul, who erstwhile represented a blimpish Western New York territory successful Congress for a twelvemonth and has a estimation arsenic a moderate, is expected to prime a left-leaning authorities lawmaker from New York City arsenic her lieutenant governor.

State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs praised Hochul arsenic “formidable.”

“She’s precise experienced and I deliberation she’ll beryllium a refreshing and breathtaking caller governor,” helium said.

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