NEW YORK — A New York state lawmaker is facing calls to resign from the governor and other Democrats after two women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2015.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are among a chorus of state and federal elected officials saying first-term Assemblyman Juan Ardila of Queens in New York City should resign.
The calls came after The Queens Chronicle and other news outlets reported that two women accused him of sexual misconduct during a party in 2015 attended by Fordham University students and alumni.
One woman said Ardila inappropriately touched her on a sofa while she was heavily intoxicated. That woman shared a written account from a second woman who said Ardila exposed himself to her after kissing her in a bathroom.
Ardila said in a statement posted on social media Tuesday that he takes responsibility for his actions and is “committed to a process of accountability.”
“I want the public to know that I deeply apologize for my past behavior and recognize that my actions have caused great harm,” the statement said.
A phone message was left at the Ardila district office on Friday seeking updated comment.
Ardila said in a prepared statement that he was looking forward to a “process focused on restorative justice” to help make amends. A group of his fellow Queens Democrats said in a statement that the process cannot go forward as long as he is in power.
Hochul, consulted by Ardila after an event in the city on Thursday, told reporters that what he did was “intolerable and unacceptable.”
“I support the survivors in their call for accountability. And yes, I should resign,” he said.
Ardila was elected to the Assembly in November with the support of progressive Democrats.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie called the allegations serious Wednesday but did not say whether Ardila should resign. He said that since Ardila was not in the Assembly in 2015, the alleged incidents were outside the purview of the chamber’s ethics committee.
