Here's Everything You Need to Know About New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo—Including Why He Just Quit

Author:
Jessica Sager
Aug 11, 2021

Early on in the pandemic, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was widely regarded as a hero. The Empire State native was on TV every single day for months giving updates on his state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. His daily briefings, often peppered with personal anecdotes and the occasional dad joke, put him in the spotlight and earned him not just high praise, but also a special Emmy Award for his "masterful" televised briefings, plus millions of dollars for a lucrative book deal and an approval rating in his home state of 87 percent as of March 2020.

Unfortunately for Cuomo, that was then; this is now. On Tuesday, August 10, Cuomo abruptly resigned as governor of New York following months of allegations of sexual harassment and other scandals that threatened his political career.

His unexpected announcement came about one week after a report from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James found that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women during his tenure in Albany. In recent months, Cuomo was also dogged by allegations that he and his staff deliberately underreported nursing home deaths caused by COVID-19 and that he improperly leveraged government resources to help write his October 2020 book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, for which he reportedly pocketed $5 million.

“The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing, and therefore, that’s what I’ll do, because I work for you, and doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you,” Andrew said in his televised resignation address. The 63-year-old was facing an imminent impeachment proceeding regarding the sexual harassment claims had he stayed in office, which could have proven both personally and professionally embarrassing.

Cuomo's resignation marks a shocking downfall for a leader who was not only born into a political dynasty, but even married into another one and was thought to be a future presidential contender. Keep reading to learn everything we know about Andrew Cuomo's scandals and resignation, as well as answers to more commonly asked questions about the former governor, all about his rise and fall and why he finally decided to throw in the towel.

What did Governor Cuomo do?

According to the report from the New York State Attorney General's office, Cuomo exhibited repeated patterns of sexual harassment and threatened retaliation against women who considered coming forward about their interactions. The report "gave corroborating evidence for eight accusers whose stories were already known, most of them current or former state employees," The New York Times reported. "But it also detailed three previously unreported accounts of sexual harassment by the governor."

At a press event detailing the report's findings, James stated, "Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so, violated federal and state law... further, the governor and his senior team took actions to retaliate against at least one former employee for coming forward with her story."

While Cuomo's harassment scandal garnered the most headlines, his book-deal imbroglio and the alleged nursing-home coverup could have likewise brought an end to his political career. Moreover, just hours before Cuomo abruptly announced his resignation, investigative journalist Ronan Farrow published an article in The New Yorker alleging that Cuomo had called the White House in 2014 (when Barack Obama was President) in a supposed attempt to smear a federal prosecutor who was looking into his decision to shutter the Moreland Commission, a group he'd formed only a few months prior to look into how to root out corruption in New York state politics. Some sources in Farrow's story claim that his actions in calling the White House could likewise constitute an impeachable offense.

How old is Andrew Cuomo?

Gov. Cuomo is 63 years old. He was born December 6, 1957. He's a Sagittarius.

Is Andrew Cuomo married?

Cuomo was married to Kerry Kennedy —a niece of President John F. Kennedy and daughter of Attorney General-turned-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy—from 1990 to 2005. They separated in 2003 before divorcing.

Cuomo confirmed in a 1010 WINS interview in April 2020 that he was single and "eligible."

When reporter Susan Richard asked him if he saw that he and brother Chris Cuomo were voted the most desirable men in New York City in a survey of thousands of women, Cuomo chuckled, "Well Susan, I did not see that, but now that you raise that 'most wanted eligibility,' my brother is married. I am not married, so I don't think he would qualify as eligible. However, I am eligible."

Does Andrew Cuomo have children?

Andrew shares three daughters with his ex-wife: Twins Cara Ethel Kennedy-Cuomo and Mariah Matilda Kennedy-Cuomo, born in 1995, and Michaela Andrea Kennedy-Cuomo, born in 1997.

Are Andrew Cuomo and Sandra Lee dating?

Andrew and Semi Homemadestar Sandra Lee dated from 2005 until September 2019. They said in a joint statement at the time of their split, "Over the recent past, we have realized that our lives have gone in different directions and our romantic relationship has turned into a deep friendship."

The pair were together through a ton of ups and downs, including Sandra's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. She previously told Parade of the experience, "When you go through something like a cancer diagnosis, you learn even more about who people are. I learned how supportive, sweet and available Andrew can be when it matters most. When I was first diagnosed, we went away for four days to make a decision about what I was going to do next. That was a really important time for us."

Who is Andrew Cuomo's father, Mario Cuomo?

Gov. Cuomo's father is the late Mario Cuomo. Andrew followed in Mario's footsteps when he became Governor of New York. Mario served as governor for three terms from 1983 to 1994. Republican George Pataki defeated Mario when Mario sought a fourth term, at which point Mario retired from politics and joined a law firm.

Coincidentally, Mario was known as one of "The Corona Fighting 69," though it had nothing to do with coronavirus—it was a nickname given to him and other residents of Corona, Queens, who lobbied against a new high school being built in their neighborhood and potentially displacing them from their properties.

Mario Cuomo passed away in 2015.

Who is Andrew Cuomo's mother, Matilda Cuomo?

Andrew's mother, Matilda Cuomo, is a former teacher and women's and children's advocate. She is a member of the National Women's Hall of Fame. Andrew signed a protective measure for people over 70 years old in the coronavirus outbreak that he called "Matilda's Law" in honor of his mother.

Who are the "Cuomo Brothers"?

The "Cuomo Brothers" refers to Andrew and his sole brother, Chris, a former lawyer and current CNN anchor who's about 13 years younger than Andrew. Chris revealed during the beginning phases of the pandemic that he'd tested positive for COVID-19.

Chris and Andrew had a long history of regularly mocking one another in televised interviews, like this clip from late March 2020, in which Andrew repeatedly calls Chris "meatball."

In a press conference on March 31, 2020, Andrew also criticized Chris for having their mother over to his house when they should have been practicing social distancing.

There was also this exchange in March 2020 about who was their mom's favorite:

But they do have an endearing relationship. The day after Chris announced his diagnosis, Andrew commended his brother during his daily press conference for continuing to do his show and showing the public what it's like to have coronavirus. "Kudos to him, my pop would be proud, I love you little brother," Andrew said sweetly.

Who are Andrew Cuomo's sisters?

In addition to brother Chris, Andrew has three sisters: Margaret Cuomo, a renowned radiologist and physician; Maria Cuomo Cole, a documentary film producer; and Madeline Cuomo, a lawyer.

What is Andrew Cuomo's net worth?

Andrew's net worth is estimated to be $5 million, largely earned from his work as a real estate advisor and best-selling author of books Crossroads: The Future of American Politicsand All Things Possible: Setbacks and Success in Politics and in Life. It's quite possible that his net worth has increased (or even doubled) from that amount since the October 2020 release of his most recent book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, which reportedly brought him another $5 million. His yearly salary as Governor of New York was $225,000, which reportedly made him the highest-paid governor in U.S. history.

What is Andrew Cuomo's political history?

Andrew Cuomo was serving his third term as Governor of New York when he resigned in August 2021.

He began his political career as his father Mario's gubernatorial campaign manager in 1982, then as an aide, with a salary of just $1 per year. He was an assistant district attorney in New York from 1984 through 1985 before founding the Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged (HELP) in 1986, working for the organization full-time in 1988.

In 1990, Cuomo used his HELP experience to head the New York City Homeless Commission, a role he held until 1993, when then-President Bill Clinton appointed Cuomo to Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, later becoming Secretary for Community Planning and Development when then-Sec. Henry Cisneros stepped down.

He ran for governor of New York in 2002, but lost to State Comptroller Carl McCall in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Pataki then beat McCall in the general gubernatorial election.