Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) called for an independent investigation led by the attorney general on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s allegations of sexual misconduct. Over the weekend, a second woman emerged on charges of sexual misconduct against the politician: former aide Charlotte Bennett, 25, said THE New York Times that Cuomo, 63, used to question her about her sex life and ask if she “had ever been with an older man”. Bennett spoke after former state economic development officer Lindsey Boylan said the governor had harassed her on several occasions between 2016 and 2018, including unsolicited kisses on the lips at her Manhattan office. Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Sunday that the allegations need to be investigated. “Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett’s detailed accounts of sexual harassment by Governor Cuomo are extremely serious and painful to read,” she tweeted. “There must be an independent investigation – not conducted by an individual selected by the governor, but by the attorney general’s office.” Cuomo denied the charges.
On Sunday, Beth Garvey, Cuomo’s special advisor and senior advisor, issued a statement following AOC’s public demands. She wrote that the governor’s office “wants a review of the allegations of sexual harassment made against the governor to be done blamelessly.” She then said that although they had chosen former federal judge Barbara Jones, they now decided to change their strategy “to avoid even the perceived lack of independence or political interference”. The office then asked the New York State Attorney General and the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals to “jointly select an independent and qualified lawyer in private practice without political affiliation to conduct a full review of the matter and issue a public report. . “
New York Attorney General Letitia James noted in a statement on Sunday: “Allegations of sexual harassment must always be taken seriously. There must be a truly independent investigation to fully review these disturbing allegations against the governor, and I am ready to oversee that investigation and make the necessary appointments. “