ALBANY – A sixth woman came forward and made accusations of sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct against Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and an Executive Board supervisor recently learned that the woman had alleged that the Governor had improperly touched her last year during a I meet at the governor’s mansion, where she had been called to work.
An official close to the matter on Tuesday confirmed to the Times Union that the new claim had been made. The governor’s office learned of the matter on Monday, an aide said.
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In response to questions about how to handle the disclosure of the woman’s allegations, Beth Garvey, acting governor of the governor, said: “All allegations that we hear about directly or indirectly are going immediately to the investigators appointed by the attorney general.”
The complaint was referred to the governor’s council by other officials of the Executive Chamber. The information was also passed on by the governor’s office to the attorney general’s office, which is coordinating an investigation into several allegations of sexual harassment made against the governor.
The sixth woman, whose identity is being concealed by the Times Union because she could not be reached for comment, is a member of the Executive Board team.
The investigation being coordinated by the attorney general is being conducted by two private lawyers, Joon H. Kim, a former US attorney for the New York Southern District in Manhattan, and Anne L. Clark, who specializes in law. labor and sexual harassment cases.
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Last week, Cuomo said that “now he understands that I acted in a way that made people uncomfortable. It was not intentional and I really and deeply apologize for it. I feel terrible about it and, frankly, I am ashamed of it. this . “
The governor, apparently in response to previous accusations by another aide, Lindsey Boylan, that he kissed her in his Manhattan office, also said, “I want you to know this directly, I never touched anyone inappropriately.”
Aides to the governor on Tuesday said the governor maintains his statement that he never touched anyone inappropriately.
The sixth woman’s new allegations potentially undermine Cuomo’s statement and will certainly intensify the pressure that many lawmakers – including other Democrats – are causing him to resign. They include state Senate Majority Leader Andrew Stewart-Cousins, who on Sunday said Cuomo should step down due to a series of scandals, and Assembly President Carl E. Heastie, who barely told Cuomo to resign, but he questioned whether he can remain an effective leader.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who will take office if Cuomo is accused of impeachment, released a statement on Tuesday about the appointment of independent investigators, saying: “I am confident that everyone’s voice will be heard and taken seriously. I trust the survey to be completed as completely and quickly as possible. New Yorkers must be confident that, through this process, they will soon learn the facts. “
Five other women accused Cuomo of inappropriate or disturbing behavior, including Boylan, who claims he kissed her without his consent in his Manhattan office three years ago.
The intensification of resignations came after the initial allegations made by three women – Boylan, as well as Charlotte Bennett and Anna Ruch, who did not work for Cuomo, but told the New York Times that the governor grabbed her and tried to kiss her in 2019 marriage of one of his senior advisers.
Bennett told the New York Times that Cuomo, during a meeting at his Capitol office last June, talked about being alone during the pandemic and that he missed being able to hug someone. She said that Cuomo never tried to touch her.
Over the weekend, in articles published by the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, two more women came forward and described what they characterized as Cuomo’s inappropriate behavior, including one who worked with the governor for more than two decades at the US Housing and Urban Agency of development.
Jessica Westerman, a lawyer at the law firm representing Bennett – along with her associate Debra Katz – told the Times Union on Monday that the Executive Board’s decision last year to deal with Bennett’s complaint “internally” and not forward the matter to the Office of the Governor for Employee Relations (GOER) should be the focus of the ongoing investigation.
In that case, Jill DeRosiers responded to Bennett’s complaint, 25, and Garvey, a leading member of the governor’s legal team, referred the matter to Judith Mogul, a special attorney for the governor. Apparently, there was no formal investigation, and it was resolved when Bennett “received the transfer she requested for a position in which she had expressed a long-standing interest and was thoroughly informed about facts that did not include a complaint of physical contact or inappropriate sexual conduct. . “
“She was consulted on the resolution and expressed satisfaction and appreciation for the way it was handled,” added Garvey in a statement last week.
The handling of the investigation by a legal team that advises the governor also raises questions about the potential conflict of interest inherent in his decision not to notify GOER and instead resolve the case by transferring Bennett to a new job.
Westerman said there were several problems with this process, which she said did not follow state law or the rules set out in the employee’s manual covering the Executive Board.
“Of course, they were legally obligated to forward the complaint to GOER and, therefore, by failing to do so – regardless of having informed Charlotte of the options available to her -, they violated their legal obligation to report the governor’s conduct to GOER , “Westerman said.
In December 2018, through an executive order signed by Cuomo, GOER became the office responsible for handling sexual harassment investigations, and is required to be notified of all complaints. This order, which followed expanded rules for sexual harassment allegations and responses, “transferred the responsibility for conducting investigations of all employment-related discrimination complaints to the Governor’s Employee Relations Office … (e) all complaints from protected class related to employment discrimination will be investigated by the GOER. “
The governor, when asked last week whether he had legally mandated annual sexual harassment training, said “the short answer is yes”. But his office declined to provide details of when the governor did the training.
Bennett, in an interview with CBS News last week, said he witnessed a Cuomo assistant doing harassment training for him, although the governor has certified that he has completed the online course. The assistant denied Bennett’s claim.