Kathy Hochul vows massive distinction from Cuomo administration

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul at press conference, August 11, 2011.

Source: The State of New York

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday said she is ready to take over as governor from Andrew Cuomo, and vowed not to have a “toxic” workplace as he has been accused of presiding over.

Hochul also said she would get rid of any Cuomo staffer who was involved in “unethical” conduct in retaliating against women who accused the three-term Democrat of sexual harassment.

“The governor and I have not been close,” Hochul told reporters at her first press conference, a day after Cuomo stunned the state with his announcement to resign in two weeks.

“And when my term ends nobody will ever describe my term as a toxic workplace environment.”

Cuomo resigned a week after a bombshell report issued by the office of state Attorney General Letitia James concluded he had sexually harassed 11 women, including current and former state workers, and presided over a “toxic” environment in the governor’s office.

The report found that top Cuomo aides had retaliated against former government official Lindsay Boylan after she went public with her claims of being harassed by Cuomo.

“Nobody named in that report doing anything unethical will remain in my administration,” Hochul said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday press briefing that President Joe Biden expects to speak with Hochul in coming days. 

Biden is looking forward to working with Hochul to “continue to get the pandemic under control, to put the people of New York back to work and to move forward as federal and state partners,” Psaki said.

Hochul became lieutenant governor under Cuomo in 2014.

She previously served one year in Congress, and before that held a series of local positions in New York.

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