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Biden says Cuomo should resign if investigation confirms sexual harassment allegations

President Joe Biden said in an interview aired Tuesday that Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign if an investigation confirms the allegations of sexual harassment against him.

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Paul LeBlanc
CNN — President Joe Biden said in an interview aired Tuesday that Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign if an investigation confirms the allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Asked by ABC News' George Stephanopoulous if Cuomo should step down if the investigation confirms the allegations, Biden replied, "Yes."

"I think he'll probably end up being prosecuted, too," Biden said.

The comments mark the President's most explicit repudiation of Cuomo since multiple women made allegations of sexual harassment or unwanted advances against the New York governor.

Biden had said Sunday that he wants to see what comes of the investigation into the allegations when asked if the Democratic governor should resign.

"I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us," the President told reporters. White House chief of staff Ron Klain echoed Biden's comments later Sunday evening, telling MSNBC that the investigation "ought to run its course."

"What the President said is that there's a process. These charges are very serious charges. They ought to be investigated and that process ought to run its course," Klain said, later adding that the women making the allegations "have a right to be heard."

The White House's posture is a notable break from the calls for resignation from the majority of the New York congressional delegation, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The New York governor, facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted advances, has apologized for "making anyone feel uncomfortable" but has maintained that he "never touched anyone inappropriately."

He is also the subject of an impeachment investigation after the speaker of the New York State Assembly authorized the chamber's judiciary committee to begin the probe this month.

Still, while the calls for Cuomo's resignation reflect a growing unease among Democrats in the state about him staying on the job, the prospect of actually forcing him out of office has been drawn-out and uncertain.

Democratic leaders in the state Legislature are content to wait for a pair of investigations, one tasked by state Attorney General Letitia James and the other about to be empaneled by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, to run their course before formally beginning the impeachment process.

The investigation into the sexual harassment allegations is being led by attorneys Joon Kim, a former prosecutor with the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and Anne Clark, an employment discrimination attorney.

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