Another woman has come forward and accused New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, making it the sixth such allegation against him.
According to the reports, the victim, a member of the Executive Chamber staff, alleged that Cuomo had sexually assaulted her after inviting her to the governor’s mansion on work. The aide said that Cuomo touched her inappropriately late last year.
Meanwhile, Cuomo has responded to the allegation by claiming that he is unaware of the latest allegation. His comments came after the governor’s office was made aware of the latest allegations against the controversial democrat, who was elected as the New York Governor in 2011. As per reports, the information has already been passed to Attorney General Letitia James, who is overseeing an investigation into Cuomo’s workplace conduct.
Sexual harassment allegations against New York governor Andrew Cuomo
Several women who have worked with Cuomo have alleged they were sexually harassed or subjected to the governor’s demeaning behaviour. Five out of the six women, who have accused Cuomo of inappropriate behaviour, have worked alongside him in the past.
First, Lindsey Boylan, a former economic development director, had said Cuomo commented on her looks, summoned her to unnecessary meetings, joked that they should play strip poker and once kissed her on the lips at the end of a meeting.
A few days later, another victim Charlotte Bennett, a onetime aide, said the governor had once told her about his hunt for a girlfriend. Bennet had said that Cuomo had asked her about her sex life and whether she would be open to a relationship with an older man. Another former aide, Ana Liss, had alleged that Cuomo kissed her on the hand and cheek and made flirtatious comments.
Separately, Karen Hinton, who worked with Cuomo, said the New York governor had invited her to his hotel room during a work trip to California. He asked her personal questions about her marriage and hugged her repeatedly in a “too long, too tight, too intimate” manner.
Similarly, 33-year-old Anna Ruch had also alleged the governor made unwanted advances toward her and planted an unsolicited kiss on her cheek at a 2019 wedding.
‘I will not resign’, says Cuomo as pressure mounts
As a consequence of several sexual harassment cases, the controversial New York Governor has been facing increasing pressure for resignation. Not just from the public, even top Democrats have been demanding the resignation, and some have withdrawn their support for Cuomo.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins became the first senior Democrat in the state to demand Cuomo’s resignation. In a statement, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “It is time for the Governor to seriously consider whether he can effectively meet the needs of the people of New York”.
Meanwhile, Cuomo has remained defiant, suggesting it would be “anti-democratic” for him to step down. “There is no way I resign. Let’s do the attorney general’s investigation, let’s get the findings, let’s go from there,” he said.
Cuomo under heat for mismanagement for COVID-19 in New York
In addition to the sexual harassment charges, Andrew Cuomo has also faced heat for his mishandling of the coronavirus crisis in New York.
The New York governor has been accused of conspiring to cover-up Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes as the pandemic hit his state last year. The allegations are that New York under-reported deaths in nursing homes by as much as half. Nearly 9,250 deaths of residents were allegedly wiped-off from the record. A federal investigation has also been ordered to look into the irregularities in New York nursing homes.
More than 1.7 million COVID-19 case were reported from New York, and nearly 50,000 deaths were reported in the state due to the Chinese pandemic. The huge deaths in New York were attributed to the mishandling of coronavirus pandemic in the state by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
