Cuomo bids adieu: says AG's report was 'designed to be a political firecracker,' truth will come out

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will officially relinquish his office to Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul during a midnight ceremony Monday, but on his last day in the office he has spent most of the last 10 years, he addressed the people of New York.

In his farewell address, the quintessential, tough-guy New York politician, whose star rose exponentially and fell just as fast over the course of the roughly the past year, fought back tears as he spoke about the resolve and intelligence of the New Yorkers he has spent the last leg of his career serving.

Cuomo, a Democrat, is resigning in the wake of a New York attorney general report that determined there is credible evidence that he sexually harassed at least 11 women during his time in office, and that some members of his administration actively retaliated against his accusers.

An impeachment battle that Cuomo likely could not defeat was brewing in Albany, and he continues to face scrutiny for the early-days coronavirus memo that led to the deaths of thousands of elderly New Yorkers in nursing homes. 

However, Cuomo held fast to the line that facts proving his innocence will be borne out eventually, and emphasized the political nature of the investigation, AG report, and headlines surrounding his downfall. 

"When government politicizes allegations, and the headlines condemn without facts, you undermine the justice system. And that doesn't serve women, and it doesn't serve men or society," he said. "Facts still matter ... the truth is ultimately always revealed."

"The attorney general's report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic, and it worked. There was a political and media stampede. But the truth will out in time, of that I am confident," he continued.

His current plea and request for due process argues other facing similar accusations have been treated differently including then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The governor also used his speech to discuss a number of policy issues on which he breaks with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He notably spoke about his lack of support for the "defund the police," movement, calling the idea "misguided" and "dangerous."

He said the key to safer police departments and communities is to build trust between departments and the communities they serve, though he admitted that was a task "easier said than done.

He also pointed out that it is disproportionately poor black and brown New Yorkers who are the victims of gun violence and that barring police departments from engaging fully with those communities solves no one's problems. 

He added that driving big-business out of New York with unfriendly corporate tax policies is a move that functions "against our collective self-interest."

Once again breaking with the more progressive wing of his party – in particular, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – Cuomo said that "demonizing business" is not a wise economic move, and lawmakers should be wary of passing laws that send employers and the jobs they provide running.

A visibly choked up Cuomo closed by discussing COVID-19 and again, the indefatigable nature of well-informed New Yorkers. He said that over the course of his career he has come to "know too well the flaws of the political system," and has therefore placed his trust in New Yorkers for the past decade. 

His longtime top aid, Melissa DeRosa, released a statement saying that while the governor has many options in front of him, he has no desire to again seek elected office.