ALBANY, NY (AP) – An aide to the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, says he touched her at the governor’s residence, a newspaper reported on Wednesday, in the most serious accusation made so far by a series of women against the combative. democrat.
The Times Union of Albany reported that the woman, whose name she did not give, was alone with Cuomo at the end of last year when he closed the door, reached under her blouse and stroked her. The newspaper report is based on an unidentified source with direct knowledge of the woman’s accusation. The governor summoned her to the Executive Mansion in Albany, saying she needed help with her cell phone, the newspaper reported.
“I never did anything like that,” said Cuomo through a spokesman on Wednesday night.
“The details of this report are distressing,” said Cuomo, adding that he would not speak about the details of this or any other allegation, due to an ongoing investigation overseen by the state attorney general.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said in a statement on Wednesday night that no criminal complaints were brought by the alleged victim to the Albany Police Department.
The three-term governor faces charges of harassment by several other women and increasingly urgent calls for his resignation or impeachment of at least some fellow Democrats. Cuomo said several times that he would not resign.
“He said openly that he would not resign. And with other growing allegations that are deeply credible, we are now in a position where I think we owe impeachment, ”said MP Jessica González-Rojas, a Democrat who had already defended his resignation.
The woman whose report was reported by the Times Union said that Cuomo had touched her and made flirtatious comments on several occasions. According to the newspaper, his allegations came to light while Cuomo officials attended the governor’s press conference on March 3, the first after a new round of sexual harassment charges in late February.
In it, he denied having touched a woman inappropriately. The advisor was later moved and told a supervisor who approached her about her meetings with the governor. At least one supervisor reported the allegation to a lawyer in the governor’s office on Monday, the newspaper reported.
Prior to Wednesday’s report, the allegations against Cuomo included a combination of claims that he made the workplace an uncomfortable place for young women, ranging from flirtatious comments to a non-consensual kiss.
At least five accusers – Charlotte Bennett, Lindsey Boylan, Ana Liss, Karen Hinton and the most recent accuser – worked for the governor in Albany or during his time in President Bill Clinton’s office. Another, Anna Ruch, told The New York Times that she met Cuomo at a friend’s wedding.
Bennett’s lawyer, Debra Katz, said in a statement released on Wednesday night that the latest allegations are “eerily similar” to the former aide’s own story.
Bennett, 25, said she was summoned to the Capitol over a weekend and left alone with Cuomo, who asked for help with his cell phone. She said Cuomo asked about her sex life and whether she would be open to a relationship with an older man. Bennett did not claim that Cuomo tried to touch it.
“The sexual harassment of the governor, reported by Charlotte Bennett, was buried by his aides and was never properly investigated,” said Katz’s statement. “Because of her training, another young woman was left in danger.”
Cuomo denied having touched anyone inappropriately, but said he was sorry if he bothered anyone and had no intention of doing so.
State Attorney General Letitia James assembled an investigation team to investigate Cuomo’s conduct in the workplace. The governor asked lawmakers and the public to await the results of that investigation. Federal investigators are also examining how their administration handled data regarding COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes.
Cuomo has been under fire for weeks, beginning with revelations that his government has withheld details from the public about the number of deaths from the pandemic among residents of state asylums. The governor’s scrutiny – which received praise during the height of the coronavirus pandemic for a leadership that won a contract for a book and calls for a national political career – intensified when former adviser Boylan, 36, reiterated the allegations of harassment made in December, revealing them in a late February blog post.
It was unclear how much the latter allegation would further undermine Cuomo’s support in the legislature. Although several state legislators from both parties called for Cuomo’s resignation or impeachment, the majority indicated they will wait for the investigation to complete.
Congresswoman Pat Fahy, who has joined a group of lawmakers asking New York to wait for the investigation to try Cuomo, said she is now “divided” and plans to decide in the morning whether to invite him to resign.
“I don’t think he will resign,” said the Democrat. “But if all of this is true, if the investigation comes out saying that this is credible, that is true, it has merit, I don’t see how it cannot”.
Others, who had previously called for Cuomo’s impeachment, reiterated their calls for him to leave.
“How can we allow this man to rule our state? We owe impeachment, ”tweeted Democratic Assembly member Zohran Kwame Mamdani on Wednesday night.
Republican Assembly member Mike Lawler on Twitter called Cuomo “a sexual predator” who should be accused.
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Sen reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writer Michael Hill contributed to this Albany report.