The second woman to accuse Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment claims the New York governor is obsessed with his hand size.
Charlotte Bennett, the 25-year-old former executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Cuomo administration, who said the Democratic governor made her “horribly uncomfortable” with questions about her personal life, brought up the allegation during her first meeting with investigators from New York State Attorney General Letitia James’s office, her lawyer said on Monday.
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“[Bennett] provided detailed information about the sexually hostile work environment the Governor fostered in both his Manhattan and Albany offices and his deliberate effort to create rivalries and tension among female staffers on whom he bestowed attention,” Debra Katz, Bennett’s attorney, said in a statement emailed to the Washington Examiner. “One piece of new information that came to light today was the Governor’s preoccupation with his hand size and what the large size of his hands indicated to Charlotte and other members of his staff.”
HERE’S WHO HAS ACCUSED CUOMO OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AMID GROWING RESIGNATION CALLS
Katz praised James’s office for “moving quickly” and “with sensitivity” as officials investigate the sexual harassment allegations. Cuomo, whom Katz accused of cultivating a “culture of fear, abuse and secrecy,” has denied all charges of inappropriate touching.
“We remain confident that their investigation will substantiate Charlotte’s claims of sexual harassment against Gov. Cuomo, as well as the failure of his senior staff to meet their mandatory reporting requirements under the very laws he signed,” she added.
The governor, who called Bennett “a hardworking and valued member of our team during COVID” in a statement to the Washington Examiner, said he only intended to serve as a “mentor” to her.
“I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate,” he said. “The last thing I would ever have wanted was to make her feel any of the things that are being reported.”
Seven women, many of them former aides to Cuomo, have accused the governor of sexual harassment. Bennett, the second accuser behind Lindsey Boylan, was later joined by Anna Ruch, Karen Hinton, Ana Liss, an unnamed sixth woman, and Jessica Bakeman in alleging Cuomo engaged in sexual impropriety.
The mounting allegations have resulted in calls for Cuomo’s resignation, with Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand joining the majority of the state’s congressional delegation in calling for the governor to step down.
Cuomo, 63, is facing two investigations into the allegations. Alongside James’s inquiry at the state level, lawmakers in the New York State Assembly initiated what they are terming an “impeachment inquiry” at the behest of Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat.
Cuomo, who apologized for making anyone uncomfortable while denying charges of impropriety, has repeatedly refused to resign. The governor vowed to reporters during a conference call on Friday that he is “not going to resign” because he “did not do what has been alleged.”
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The New York governor appeared to have one high-profile ally standing by him amid the fallout. President Biden, who was notably silent as members of his party turned on Cuomo, declined to call for the governor’s resignation before the investigations’ findings are released when asked for comment Sunday evening.
Cuomo is separately under federal investigation for his handling of nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic.
Representatives for James did not immediately reply to the Washington Examiner‘s requests for comment.
