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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 4 augustus 2021

Cuomo defiant after probe says he sexually harassed 11 women

the law. The people of New cally embracing people his said Cuomo kissed her on
York deserve better leader- whole life, that his mother the lips after a meeting in his
ship in the governor’s office. and father, former Gov. Ma- office and “would go out of
We continue to believe that rio Cuomo, had done the his way to touch me on my
the Governor should resign,” same and that the gesture was lower back, arms and legs.”
they said in a joint statement. meant to “convey warmth.”
After Boylan first made her
While James concluded the Cuomo’s lawyer issued a allegations public in Decem-
investigation without refer- written rebuttal to the inves- ber, the Cuomo administra-
ring the case to prosecutors tigation’s findings, arguing in tion undercut her story by re-
for possible criminal charges, most cases that serious alle- leasing personnel memos to
local authorities could use gations, like the alleged grop- media outlets revealing that
its evidence and findings to ing, didn’t happen, or that his Boylan resigned after she was
mount their own cases. Al- actions were misconstrued. confronted about complaints
bany District Attorney Da- she belittled and yelled at her
vid Soares said he will be “For those who are using staff.
requesting material from this moment to score politi-
James’ office and welcomed cal points or seek publicity or Boylan has said those records
victims to contact his office personal gain. I say they actu- “were leaked to the media in
with information. ally discredit the legitimate an effort to smear me.”
sexual harassment victims
The investigation’s findings that the law was designed to In an 11-hour interview with
are also expected to play an protect,” Cuomo said. investigators last month,
important role in an ongoing Cuomo admitted to certain
state Assembly inquiry into Bennett called the governor’s behavior while denying other
whether there are grounds apology to her “meaning- allegations, investigators said.
(AP) — An investigation to retaliate against a former to impeach Cuomo, who less.” For example, Clark said, he
found that Gov. Andrew employee who accused him has been raising money for a conceded asking Bennett
Cuomo sexually harassed of wrongdoing. potential fourth term in of- “If he were sorry, he would whether she had been in-
nearly a dozen women in fice. The Assembly hired its step down. That’s how ac- volved with older men and
and out of state govern- “These interviews and pieces own legal team to investigate countability works,” she said he may have kissed the
ment and worked to re- of evidence revealed a deeply myriad allegations regarding told The Associated Press. “I state trooper at an event but
taliate against one of his disturbing yet clear picture: harassment, his book, nurs- don’t believe he will resign. denied touching her.
accusers, New York’s at- Gov. Cuomo sexually ha- ing homes and special access I think it’s the speaker’s job
torney general announced rassed current and former to COVID-19 testing. now to begin impeachment Asked about an allegation
Tuesday, hastening calls state employees in violation proceedings.” that he grabbed a woman’s
for the Democrat’s resig- of federal and state laws,” Several Cuomo accusers de- breast at the executive man-
nation or impeachment. New York Attorney General manded swifter action, call- The report detailed, for the sion, according to the report,
Letitia James said at a press ing on the governor to leave first time, allegations that Cuomo responded: “I would
The governor remained defi- conference on Tuesday. office immediately. Some Cuomo sexually harassed a have to lose my mind to do
ant, saying in a taped response Democratic and Republican female state trooper on his such a thing” to a woman he
to the findings that “the facts The investigation’s findings, state lawmakers joined them, security detail. It said that hardly knew with multiple
are much different than what detailed in a 165-page public along with one-time Cuomo in addition to touching the staff members around.
has been portrayed” and that report, turn up the pressure allies including county ex- trooper, Cuomo kissed her
he “never touched anyone on the 63-year-old governor, ecutives and leaders of left- on the cheek, asked for her The probe, which involved
inappropriately or made in- who just a year ago was wide- leaning political groups. help in finding a girlfriend interviews with 179 people
appropriate sexual advances.” ly hailed for his steady leader- and asked why she didn’t including the governor him-
ship during the darkest days Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul, who wear a dress. self, also found that Cuomo’s
The nearly five-month in- of the COVID-19 crisis, even would succeed Cuomo is he administration was a hostile
vestigation, led by two out- writing a book about it. is removed or resigns, called The report also included an work environment “rife with
side lawyers, concluded that the behavior detailed in the allegation from a woman fear and intimidation.”
11 women who said that Since then, he’s seen his report “repulsive and unlaw- who worked for an energy
Cuomo had touched them standing crumble with a ful behavior” and said, “No company who said Cuomo Cuomo always denied inap-
inappropriately, commented drumbeat of harassment al- one is above the law.” touched her chest at an event. propriate touching, but he
on their appearance or made legations, questions in a sepa- The woman said Cuomo ran initially said he was sorry if
suggestive comments about rate, ongoing inquiry into In his taped response, Cuo- his fingers across the letter- his behavior with women
their sex lives were telling the whether state resources went mo apologized to two accus- ing on her shirt, reading the was “misinterpreted as un-
truth. into writing the book, and the ers: Charlotte Bennett, who name of her company aloud. wanted flirtation.” He got
discovery that his administra- said the governor asked if Then he leaned in and said: more combative in recent
Those accusers included an tion concealed the true num- she was open to sex with an “I’m going to say I see a spi- months, saying he did noth-
aide who said Cuomo groped ber of nursing home deaths older man after she confided der on your shoulder,” and ing wrong.
her breast at the governor’s during the outbreak. in him that she had been a brushed his hand in between
mansion and a female state victim of sexual assault, and her shoulder and breasts, the He has also questioned the
trooper on his security detail, The revelations, most of a woman he kissed at a wed- report said. neutrality of the lawyers lead-
who said he ran his hand or which were initially made ding — an incident reported ing the probe. Kim, was in-
fingers across her stomach public last winter, led to in a front-page story in The “These brave women stepped volved in previous investiga-
and her back. a chorus of calls then for New York Times. Cuomo forward to speak truth to tions of corruption by people
Cuomo’s resignation from said he was hiring an expert power and, in doing so, they in Cuomo’s administration.
Anne Clark, who led the many top elected Democrats to reform sexual harassment expressed faith in the belief
probe with former U.S. At- in New York. U.S. Sens. training for state employees, that although the governor New York state regulations
torney Joon Kim, said the al- Chuck Schumer and Kirsten including the governor. may be powerful, the truth say sexual harassment in-
legations were corroborated Gillibrand said after the re- is even more so,” Kim said at cludes unwelcome conduct
to varying degrees, including port’s release Tuesday that it But he denied other allega- the press conference. of a sexual nature — from
by other witnesses and con- reinforces a call for his res- tions as fabricated and lashed unwanted flirtation to sexual
temporaneous text messages. ignation they first made last out at the investigative pro- Cuomo faced multiple alle- jokes — that creates an of-
On at least one occasion, the March. cess, saying it was rife with gations last winter, the first fensive work environment,
investigation found, Cuomo “politics and bias.” He ex- of which came from former regardless of a perpetrator’s
and his senior staff worked “No elected official is above plained that he’s been physi- adviser Lindsey Boylan. She intent.