Four of the women who accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment received subpoenas to testify under oath.
The subpoenas are the latest indication that the investigation, which New York Attorney General Letitia James began March 8, is progressing.
The accusers who have received the orders are Charlotte Bennett, a former aide who claimed that the governor made sexual advances when they were alone; Lindsey Boylan, the first accuser who alleged harassment; Ana Liss, a former administration official who said Cuomo made her uncomfortable; and the unnamed staff member who accused him of groping her in the executive mansion in Albany, according to the New York Times.
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At least 10 women, many of whom were former aides or staffers, have come forward to allege Cuomo touched them inappropriately or made crude comments during his long political career.
He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said he will not resign despite calls from a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
The governor is looking forward to talking to the investigators, he said Thursday.
“I am very eager to tell them the other side of the story because it is a much different story, and the truth will be told, and the truth is much, much different than what has been suggested,” he said. “And I’ll leave it at that for now.”
During a press conference that day, Cuomo claimed that “harassment is not making someone feel uncomfortable — that is not harassment. If I just made you feel uncomfortable, that is not harassment. That’s you feeling uncomfortable.”
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“I said I never meant to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I never said anything I believe is inappropriate,” he added.
His comments appear to contradict his own 2019 law that changed the requirement of what constituted harassment. Previously, the bar was “severe or pervasive,” whereas the law he signed then changed it to “a petty slight or inconvenience,” according to City and State New York.
Cuomo previously acknowledged that he “acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable,” but he denied any inappropriate contact.
“I never touched anyone inappropriately. I never knew at the time that I was making anyone feel uncomfortable,” he said March 3.
