More former aides to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo are accusing him of harassment, adding to a growing list of alleged grievances for which the embattled 63-year-old Democrat is now facing an investigation by the state’s attorney general and calls to resign.
Karen Hinton, a former press aide, alleged that Cuomo summoned her to his hotel room and pulled her toward him, even after she pushed away. Hinton says the incident took place after a work event in 2000 while Cuomo led the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and she was a consultant, the Washington Post reported Saturday evening.
A former policy and operations aide, 35-year-old Ana Liss, told the Wall Street Journal in a report published less than an hour later that Cuomo engaged in unsolicited sexual behavior between 2013 and 2015. She said the governor asked her whether she had a boyfriend, called her “sweetheart,” and once kissed her hand.
And two men alleged the governor routinely verbally berated them, calling them “p——” and telling them “you have no balls,” while three anonymous women who staffed Cuomo’s office in recent years say that the governor questioned them about their dating lives, according to the Washington Post report.
CUOMO ACCUSER: ‘HE HAS NOT APOLOGIZED FOR SEXUALLY HARASSING ME’
Peter Ajemian, Cuomo’s director of communications, issued a statement vehemently denying Hinton’s telling of her encounter with Cuomo in a hotel room.
“This did not happen,” Ajemian said. “Karen Hinton is a known antagonist of the governor’s who is attempting to take advantage of this moment to score cheap points with made-up allegations from 21 years ago. All women have the right to come forward and tell their story — however, it’s also the responsibility of the press to consider self-motivation. This is reckless.”
Rich Azzopardi, a senior Cuomo adviser, said in a separate statement that he “never heard [Cuomo] use [the] coarse language” described by the two male aides during his eight years in the governor’s office.
Three women, including two former aides, have already accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. Charlotte Bennett, 25, served as an executive assistant and health policy adviser in Cuomo’s administration and spoke out against Cuomo, claiming on Feb. 27 that he engaged in inappropriate behavior and sexual overtures toward her last summer in his Albany office. Cuomo denied the charges, saying he only wanted to serve as a “mentor” to the young staffer.
The first accuser, 36-year-old Lindsey Boylan, a former aide to the governor, alleged Cuomo forcibly tried to kiss her in a Medium post on Feb. 24. The governor’s office denied those allegations.
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
Cuomo apologized this week for making any of his accusers feel uncomfortable but denied ever inappropriately touching them.
Others who did not work for Cuomo have also made accusations against the governor. Former journalist Lindsay Nielsen claimed the way she was treated by his office was harassing and manipulating, adding it was the reason she quit her job.
In light of the allegations, coupled with a growing nursing home scandal in which Cuomo advisers reportedly instructed state health officials to alter official documents to cover up nursing home death tallies, the governor is facing increasing pressure to resign or be impeached. Bipartisan public officials have called for investigations into the allegations, with Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio all calling for the charges to be subjected to scrutiny.
“Resign you disgusting monster, @NYGovCuomo,” tweeted Boylan on Saturday evening.
Resign you disgusting monster, @NYGovCuomo
— Lindsey Boylan (@LindseyBoylan) March 7, 2021
Cuomo agreed to be investigated by state officials, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, began an investigation on Monday. James asked Cuomo on Friday to preserve all potentially relevant records and communications.
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The Washington Examiner sent requests for comment to the Cuomo administration and the Planning and Development Department in Monroe County, where Liss serves as director, but did not immediately receive responses.
