New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo apologized to those accusing him of acts of sexual misconduct but denied inappropriately touching them.
The 63-year-old Democrat issued a statement on the allegations and took questions from reporters during a COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday during which, he also declined to consider resigning from office under bipartisan pressure for this controversy and one focused on his handling of nursing homes during the pandemic.
“I want New Yorkers to hear from me directly on this. First, I fully support a woman’s right to come forward,” he said. “And I think it should be encouraged in every way. I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional. And I truly apologize for how I feel awful about it. And frankly, I am embarrassed by it. And it’s not easy to say, but that’s the truth. But this is what I want you to know, and I want you to know this from me directly.”
“I never touched anyone inappropriately. I never knew at the time that I was making anyone feel uncomfortable,” Cuomo continued.
Cuomo has come under fire in a recent string of allegations from former aids and, more recently, a former local journalist who said harassment from his office led her to quit.
FORMER LOCAL JOURNALIST SAYS ANDREW CUOMO OFFICE HARASSMENT LED HER TO QUIT
Anna Ruch, the third woman to bring forth accusations, said that during a wedding in September 2019, Cuomo acted inappropriately toward her, according to a Monday report from the New York Times.
A photo emerged online showing the governor holding Ruch’s face, which she says happened just before he asked if he could kiss her.
A third woman has accused Governor Cuomo of unwanted touching and sexual attention, saying he placed his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her at her friend’s wedding. A friend took a series of pictures of the incident as it occurred. https://t.co/bgvzBK4vK0 pic.twitter.com/hXvgTvSntQ
— Evan Hill (@evanchill) March 2, 2021
On Wednesday, Cuomo apologized for any offenses he might have committed, but brushed off his actions as a custom introduced to him by his father.
“You can go find hundreds of pictures of me. Kissing people, men, women, is my usual and customary way of greeting you know that because you’ve watched me for,” Cuomo said, adding, “By the way, it was my father’s way of greeting people you’re the governor of the state. You want people to feel comfortable, you want to reach out to them. I do it.”
Last week, 36-year-old Lindsey Boylan, a former aide to the governor, accused him of sexually harassing her, alleging he forcibly tried to kiss her on the lips and asked her to play strip poker during a flight in October 2017. Cuomo’s office denied those allegations.
In the days following, Charlotte Bennett, a 25-year-old who served as an executive assistant and health policy adviser in Cuomo’s administration, accused the governor of sexual harassment, alleging he engaged in inappropriate behavior toward her last summer in his Albany office. She said she viewed the governor’s questions as sexual overtures.
Following the conference, Bennett’s attorney, Debra Katz, released a statement to the Washington Examiner, alleging it was “full of falsehoods and inaccurate information, and New Yorkers deserve better.”
“The Governor repeatedly said he never touched anyone inappropriately. Ms. Ruch’s story makes clear that’s not accurate. The Governor repeatedly said he had no idea he made anyone uncomfortable. My client, Charlotte Bennett, reported this sexually harassing behavior immediately to his Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel,” Katz said.
Katz added that individuals in the Cuomo administration are “once again bearing the consequences of his actions,” calling on any officials with experience or knowledge on the matter to come out and report misconduct.
In his Wednesday statement, Cuomo asked “the people of this state to wait for the facts from the Attorney General’s report before forming an opinion.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James and the chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals will jointly select an independent and qualified lawyer in private practice without any political affiliation to review the allegations and issue a public report regarding the allegations.
The Justice Department and the FBI have opened an investigation into COVID-19 nursing home deaths in New York under the leadership of the governor.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
On Jan. 28, State Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, released data that found the state was undercounting nursing home coronavirus deaths by 50%.
