Former Governor Andrew Cuomo Says He Wishes He Hadn’t Resigned

Cuomo Reflects on His Resignation as Governor

In a recent interview with the New York Times, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo expressed regret over his resignation in 2021. He mentioned that, if given the chance, he would have chosen not to step down during that time.

Currently, Cuomo is running in the Democratic primary for the New York City mayoralty. He told the Times that he believed he wouldn’t have resigned if he had the opportunity to go through it all again. He felt his departure had, perhaps, created a distraction within the government.

“If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t have resigned,” Cuomo stated. He added that his resignation was driven by concerns that it might hinder the government’s operations and believed officials would be preoccupied with various political maneuvers.

Cuomo, who served as governor from 2011 until 2021, stepped down following allegations of sexual harassment from multiple women. He has maintained that these allegations were politically motivated.

“Maybe I could have sped up the whole process, but I think it wouldn’t have dragged on for four years,” he remarked. He speculated that if witnesses had come forward, the situation could have looked different, but in retrospect, he still feels he shouldn’t have resigned.

“At the time, I thought it would create too many distractions, undermining effective governance,” he reflected.

His administration faced significant backlash in early 2020 for policies related to COVID-19, particularly concerning nursing home admissions. Under his directive, facilities were not allowed to turn away patients based solely on confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnoses, which reportedly contributed to the deaths of over 4,000 nursing home residents.