NEW YORK
Third Cuomo accuser steps forward, deepening
governor’s scandal
A woman claims Cuomo made unwanted advances toward her
at a wedding reception in 2019, calling her "aggressive" after she
removed his hand from the small of her back and asking, "Can I kiss
you?"
By MADINA
TOURÉ and MARIE J. FRENCH 03/01/2021 01:19 PM EST Updated 03/01/2021 09:55 PM
EST
NEW YORK —
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo remained in hiding Monday as the state attorney
general formally announced an investigation into allegations of sexual
harassment — and some of the state’s top Democrats began to wonder just how
long the three-term governor can hold on.
The
allegations of sexual misconduct by two former aides, which followed a
mushrooming scandal around the deaths of nursing home residents, seemed to
override every other political priority in the state and left Cuomo at his most
vulnerable point since taking office 10 years ago.
By evening,
Cuomo was facing a new claim: A woman whom he had not previously met said the
governor made unwanted advances toward her at a wedding reception in 2019,
calling her “aggressive” after she removed his hand from the small of her back
and asking, “Can I kiss you?”
“I was so
confused and shocked and embarrassed,” Anna Ruch, 33, told the New York Times
in describing the encounter, which the paper said was corroborated by a friend,
text message and photographs. “I turned my head away and didn’t have words in
that moment.”
The new
claim, which differed from two earlier accusations in that Ruch was not an
employee of Cuomo, added to the governor’s growing troubles. Already, the
accusations by his former aides in recent days had become the single greatest
threat to his career and an inescapable subject for New York’s political class.
On Monday
night, following the news of a third accuser, U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY),
called on her fellow Democrat to resign. "The time has come," she
tweeted. "The Governor must resign." Rice, a former prosecutor,
represents a moderate district on Long Island.
Also on
Monday night, CNN host Chris Cuomo, the governor's brother, acknowledged that
the governor is very much in the news. "Obviously I'm aware of what's
going on with my brother," Chris Cuomo said. "And obviously I cannot
cover it because he is my brother."
Earlier
Monday, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio attacked the governor in a series of
media and public appearances, even suggesting Cuomo may need to resign. One of
the governor’s accusers urged others to come forward with their own accounts.
And in Albany, where lawmakers are facing a multi-billion dollar deficit and
end-of-month budget deadline, backroom discussions went so long the state
Assembly canceled its voting session.
One of the
top Democrats in the state Legislature, Senate deputy leader Mike Gianaris,
called the allegations against Cuomo “incredibly disturbing” and said “it’s
going to be a serious problem” if investigators substantiate the claims. Asked
if Democrats would support removing the governor from office, he did not
directly respond.
“Events are
fast-moving,” Gianaris said in an interview at the state Capitol on Monday. “A
lot has happened the last 24 to 48 hours. From what we know right now, the
attorney general’s involved in a process, we want to respect that process.
Should developments change, then things could change quickly.”
The
governor, once a ubiquitous presence in the media, has gone silent and avoided
public appearances since former aide Lindsey Boylan accused him of sexual
harassment on Wednesday. A second former aide, Charlotte Bennett, came forward
on Saturday night with her own accusations.
All of this
followed bitter controversy over the governor's handling of nursing home
residents early in the pandemic and a spate of stories about his aggressive
style of leadership.
Bennett,
who made her allegations in a series of interviews with Times, said in a
statement Monday that the governor has refused to take responsibility for what
she described as predatory behavior.
"These
are not the actions of someone who simply feels misunderstood; they are the
actions of an individual who wields his power to avoid justice," Bennett
wrote in the statement.
Bennett
claims Cuomo asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life, including
"if I had ever been with an older man." That came on the heels of
Boylan alleging last week that Cuomo kissed her without her consent and made
inappropriate comments, including asking her to play strip poker.
“To the
Governor’s survivors: I am here. Lindsey is here,” Bennett said in her
statement. “You do not have to say a single word. But if you choose to speak
your truth, we will be standing with you. I promise.”
De Blasio,
who has frequently and publicly clashed with the governor on a range of issues,
suggested Monday that Cuomo will have to step down if the investigation into
the allegations confirms what the accusers say happened.
De Blasio
said an older man trying to take advantage of a younger woman to make her feel
like she could lose her job if she does not consent is “horrible” — and
suggested Cuomo should step down if he’s found to have engaged in sexual
harassment.
“If someone
purposely tried to use their power to force a woman to have sex with them, of
course that’s someone who should no longer be in public service," de
Blasio said during his daily press briefing on Monday.
The mayor
has called for the immediate cancellation of Cuomo’s emergency powers as well
as two separate independent investigationsinto his behavior.
Cuomo
released a statement Sunday in which he claimed his comments to Bennett were
meant to be “good natured” and said he was sorry the interactions were
“misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation.” He also conceded he sometimes makes
“jokes that I think are funny” when he is at work, believing he is “being
playful.”
The
governor agreed on Sunday to allow state Attorney General Tish James to appoint
a “qualified private lawyer” to launch an investigation into the allegations
against him, reversing course after James rejected his earlier proposals and
demanded subpoena power.
Cuomo’s
office on Monday officially directed James to move forward with the inquiry,
sending a referral to her office. James pledged to disclose the findings of the
investigation in a public report.
“This is
not a responsibility we take lightly as allegations of sexual harassment should
always be taken seriously,” James, who was independently elected, said in a
statement.
Meanwhile,
Cuomo‘s frequent critics were forcefully attacking the governor. The Senate’s
Republican minority leader, Rob Ortt, repeated his calls for the governor to
resign.
De Blasio
called Cuomo's behavior "disgusting" and "creepy" and said
he has seen the governor be abusive "in a way that would not be accepted
by anyone in leadership."
"Sexual
harassment is not funny," he said on radio station Hot 97 earlier Monday
morning. "I mean, who the hell tries to explain that by saying I was just
joking around? I mean that even further confirms a mindset from a whole 'nother
time that we have left behind, that's unacceptable."
Federal
investigators are also looking into the Cuomo administration’s handling of
Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes. For months, the state concealed data on
thousands of nursing home patients who died of Covid-19.
De Blasio
said, in addition to the sexual harassment allegations, there should be a probe
into the nursing homes, including whether Cuomo received campaign contributions
from the nursing home industry.
"We
cannot just look at one or the other,” he said. “We need a full investigation
of the nursing home issue where thousands of people died. Information was
covered up on purpose and we still don't know if our seniors are safe going
forward, our elders. We don't know if they are, because we have not gotten a
full accounting of the facts."
Cuomo’s
office said on Monday it had hired Elkan Abramowitz, a former federal
prosecutor and a top white-collar defense attorney, the Wall Street Journal
reported. Abramowitz said in an email to POLITICO that the firm is representing
the governor’s office as it relates to the inquiries involving nursing homes
and “have not been retained on the sexual harassment matter."
Nationally,
White House officials and leading Democrats continued to field questions about
the accusations faced by Cuomo, previously considered a leading Democratic
contender for president.
Hillary
Clinton said in a statement that she was “glad to see that there will be a
full, independent, and thorough investigation."
"These
stories are difficult to read, and the allegations brought forth raise serious
questions that the women who have come forward and all New Yorkers deserve
answers to," Clinton said.
Cuomo was
secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill
Clinton.
At the
White House, press secretary Jen Psaki cited the independent investigation in
declining to directly criticize Cuomo, saying she would “leave it to that
process, to the attorney general, to make a determination on the path
forward." But, she said, the allegations were difficult to hear.
“That story
was incredibly uncomfortable to read as a woman, and we certainly believe that
every woman coming forward — Charlotte, Lindsey — should be treated with
respect and dignity and be able to tell their story and treated with respect,”
Psaki said.
Bill
Mahoney, Anna Gronewold and Nick Niedzwiadek contributed to this report.
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