The 5 sexual harassment accusations against Gov. Andrew Cuomo
WASHINGTON (SBG) - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo now faces accusations from five women claiming that he sexually harassed them. The governor maintains that he did nothing wrong and has apologized if he inadvertently made anyone feel uncomfortable.
However, Cuomo was called a “predator” who “terrified” one accuser into thinking she could not leave the room as the powerful New York leader inquired about her sex life. State Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the claims against the embattled governor, but this is how the accusers describe their interactions with Cuomo.
Lindsey Boylan, a Democratic candidate for Manhattan Borough President, first raised allegations against Gov. Cuomo last year but did not release details of alleged malfeasance until February. Boylan says that the governor kissed her and invited her to play strip poker while she was working as his aide. Boylan said she became fearful of being left alone with Cuomo and his actions created a toxic work environment.
“His inappropriate behavior toward women was an affirmation that he liked you, that you must be doing something right,” she wrote in an essay. “He used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences.”
Charlotte Bennett, a former health policy adviser to Gov. Cuomo, said she was repeatedly asked about a past sexual assault and whether that trauma affected her comfort with sexual intimacy. In an interview with CBS’s Nora O’Donnell, Bennett said that the governor told her he wanted a relationship and asked her about her feelings regarding older men.
Bennett, 25, said she was “terrified” and felt confident the governor, 63, was trying to seduce her and begin a sexual relationship. Cuomo informed her, she said, that he was open to dating anyone over age 22.
“I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me,” Bennett said. “And was wondering how I was going to get out of it.”
Anna Ruch, who worked on President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, said the governor asked her if he could kiss her at a 2019 wedding reception in New York City. He then allegedly gave her an unwanted kiss on the cheek. A photo showed Cuomo’s hands on Ruch’s face at the reception.
Ruch described the event as leaving her feeling “confused and shocked and embarrassed.”
“I turned my head away and didn't have words in that moment,” Ruch said of the encounter. Cuomo defended his actions, saying he offers hugs and kisses to many women, men, and children as part of his life as a top leader in the state.
“You can find hundreds of pictures of me making the same gesture with hundreds of people: women, men, children, et cetera," Cuomo said during a press conference. "You can go find hundreds of pictures of me kissing people, men, women. It is my usual and customary way of greeting.”
New York State sexual harassment policies, championed by Cuomo and signed in 2019, state clearly that unwanted touching and invasion into personal space is unacceptable.
Anna Liss said Cuomo’s behavior toward her made her feel that she had been reduced to “just a skirt,” as the governor referred to her as “sweetheart,” touched her lower back, and kissed her hand. Cuomo also inquired about whether Liss had a boyfriend, a question that made her feel uncomfortable around the governor, she told The Wall Street Journal.
“It’s not appropriate, really, in any setting,” Liss said of Cuomo’s behavior.
Karen Hinton, a former top aide for Cuomo, said he was inappropriate with her in a California hotel 21 years ago.
"He started asking me personal questions. I was uncomfortable with that conversation,” Hinton said of Cuomo, who was then a member of President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet.
"So, I stood up to leave and he walked across from his couch and embraced me intimately. It was not just a hug. It was an intimate embrace. I pulled away. He brought me back. I pulled away again and I said, 'look, I need some sleep, I am going,'" Hinton said.
"It was inappropriate. We both were married. I worked for him and it was too much to make it so personal and intimate.”
The governor said Hinton was a “longtime political adversary,” and that her accusations were not true.
Cuomo has steadfastly denied wrongdoing in the accusations, characterizing his unwanted behavior as “misinterpreted,” attempts at banter. He has faced increasing political pressure to resign, as he continues to be embroiled in accusations of mishandling nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amid the two latest allegations, Cuomo said there is “there is no way I resign.”
