New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is a bully, a snake, a liar, and an all-around terrible man, who has hung around the state capitol with the sole goal, as far as I can tell, of gleefully blocking progressive policy and legislation. And as recent reporting has shown, Cuomo is also, allegedly, a serial sexual harasser. The number of women who have come forward in recent months, sharing accounts of Cuomo sexually harassing them and at times engaging in inappropriate behavior bordering on sexual assault, is only growing.
This week, the Times-Union reported that a sixth woman, an aide whose name the paper withheld, is alleging that Cuomo summoned her to the governor’s mansion last year and then proceeded to grope her under her clothing. She also alleges that he had touched her inappropriately before that evening.
More details on the latest allegation, via the Times-Union:
The staff member, whose identity is being withheld by the Times Union, had been called to the mansion under the apparent pretext of having her assist the governor with a minor technical issue involving his mobile phone. They were alone in Cuomo’s private residence on the second floor when he closed the door and allegedly reached under her blouse and began to fondle her, according to the source.
The allegations by the female aide, who is the sixth woman to accuse Cuomo of inappropriate behavior, were first reported Tuesday by the Times Union. The additional details describe the most egregious behavior attributed to the governor to date — conduct that could potentially be pursued as a misdemeanor sexual assault charge.
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The person briefed on the case, who is not authorized to comment publicly, said the woman — who is much younger than Cuomo — told the governor to stop. Her broader allegations include that he frequently engaged in flirtatious behavior with her, and that it was not the only time that he had touched her.
According to the Times-Union, the aide shared her story of Cuomo sexually assaulting her with a supervisor after she watched Cuomo claim that he had never touched a woman “inappropriately” during a press conference responding to Lindsey Boylan’s allegations of sexual harassment:
Hearing those remarks, the female aide became emotional. At least one female supervisor came to her assistance and asked why she was upset. The female aide subsequently told the supervisor about what she said had been inappropriate encounters with Cuomo, the source said.
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In the most recent case, at least one of the woman’s supervisors reported the allegations to an attorney in the governor’s office on Monday.
Cuomo’s statement responding to his aide’s allegation is, predictably, terrible and two-faced. “As I said yesterday, I have never done anything like this,” he wrote in a statement to the Times-Union. “The details of this report are gut-wrenching. I am not going to speak to the specifics of this or any other allegation given the ongoing review, but I am confident in the result of the attorney general’s report.” As the Times-Union noted, the aide’s allegation has already been referred to Attorney General Letitia James, whose office is conducting an investigation into Cuomo’s alleged pattern of sexual harassment, inappropriate behavior, and assault.
While Cuomo has remained adamant that he won’t step down, it seems he won’t be able to avoid serious consequences for much longer. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Democratic state Senate majority leader, has already called on Cuomo to resign “for the good of the state,” and on Thursday, dozens of Democratic state legislators demanded that Cuomo leave office. “We have a Lieutenant Governor who can step in and lead for the remainder of the term, and this is what is best for New Yorkers in this critical time. It is time for Governor Cuomo to resign,” they wrote.
There are so many reasons why Cuomo should step down—not only the numerous sexual harassment and assault allegations, but his alleged mishandling of the covid-19 pandemic in the state’s nursing homes and his subsequent attempt at covering it up. Cuomo, you fucking piece of shit, pick a reason, any reason—it’s time to resign!