Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to accuse New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment in a growing scandal, criticized President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in a tweet now excluded for remaining silent about the charges.
Most prominent New York Democrats, including Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Kristen Gillibrand and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, have asked Cuomo to step down because of the charges. But neither Harris nor Biden, who once described Cuomo as the “gold standard” of leadership during the coronavirus pandemic, commented on the situation.
Boylan spoke shortly after a challenger Cuomo denied any wrongdoing following the accusations of seven women, including Boylan, who accused the governor of sexual harassment and misconduct. During a news conference, Cuomo said he would not heed calls to resign and said that “there are often many motivations for making a complaint”, in an apparent suggestion that his accusers had ulterior motives.
“The governor denied all wrongdoing,” Boylan wrote on Twitter. “He came on his platform today and said that” there are a lot of motivations for people to get things done. ” He is evoking hatred and speculation to be directed at his accusers. All harm and hatred directed at women is directly at @NYGovCuomo.
“It also questions the judgment and courage of @POTUS and @KamalaHarris,” added Boylan. Later, she deleted the second tweet
Boylan also criticized the White House last Sunday, tweeting to the public “to see blue trolls harass me and other survivors” because Biden, Harris and other New York Democrats were “supporting with their silence”. Several Democrats mentioned in the tweet later called for Cuomo’s resignation.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki commented on the situation during a press conference on Friday.
“The president believes that every woman who comes forward – there are now six, I believe, who has spoken out – deserves to have her voice heard, must be treated with respect and must be able to tell her story,” said Psaki.
Boylan, a former Cuomo government official, wrote a blog post on February 24 detailing several cases in which the governor was involved in alleged inappropriate behavior.
In the post, Boylan claimed that Cuomo invited her to play strip poker on a flight and kissed her on the mouth during a meeting in his office, among other alleged transgressions. Cuomo denied Boylan’s accusations.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation into the claims against Cuomo.
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