New York Governor Andrew Cuomo hit out at the mounting allegations of sexual harassment Tuesday, firing back that ‘yes’ he has ‘touched people’ because he ‘shakes hands’ with people but denied that he has ever ‘touched anyone inappropriately’.
Cuomo was forced to shield questions about his behavior for a second day in a row Tuesday as he held a press briefing at Binghamton University where he announced that all state-run mass vaccination sites will take walk-in appointments for anyone aged 16 and over starting Thursday.
The briefing came one day after he finally held his first in-person Q&A session with the press since November and flatly denied all allegations against him.
When New York was the virus epicenter of the world last spring, Cuomo always took questions from the press as part of his daily briefings, which went to earn him an Emmy.
But the typically outspoken governor has fallen media shy in recent months, as a flurry of allegations of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior surfaced against him from multiple different women.
Now, at least nine women have come forward with accusations including three former and two current aides in his office.
The governor has repeatedly denied the allegations saying he ‘never touched anyone inappropriately’ and ‘never made any inappropriate advances’ but has apologized for making anyone feel ‘uncomfortable.’
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo hit out at the mounting allegations of sexual harassment Tuesday, firing back that ‘yes’ he has ‘touched people’ because he ‘shakes hands’ with people but denied that he has ever ‘touched anyone inappropriately’
When asked by a reporter Tuesday if he touched anybody or any woman in his executive mansion, a defiant Cuomo fired back that ‘yes’ he has ‘touched people’.
‘Have I touched people? Yes,’ he said abruptly, before moving on to another question.
He then circled back to the question later to clarify that he has touched people because he ‘you shake hands’ with people but insisted he had not touched anyone in an inappropriate way.
‘To your question ‘do you touch people?’ Of course, you touch people,’ he said.
‘I just shook hands with people etc. I didn’t touch them inappropriately.’
When pressed if he had inappropriately touched anyone in his office, he added: ‘I didn’t touch them inappropriately. But I just shook hands with the mayor, I just touched people.’
The most serious allegation to date against the governor has been made by a current aide, who is the only accuser to remain anonymous, who claims Cuomo groped her at the Executive Mansion late last year.
The woman shared her story publicly for the first time in an interview with Times Union of Albany earlier this month where she told how he allegedly closed her in a room with him and pulled her in for a hug before reaching under her blouse and groping her breast.
‘I told you, I never touched anyone inappropriately,’ Cuomo said, when these allegations were put to him Tuesday.
The reporter continued to press him, asking if he did behave in the way that the woman alleges but that he may not think it inappropriate.
Cuomo was forced to shield questions about his behavior for a second day in a row Tuesday
‘I have never touched anyone inappropriately, and groping would be inappropriate,’ he replied.
Cuomo doubled down on his repeated insistence that he ‘didn’t do anything wrong’
He also hit out at a reporter from the New York Post saying ‘what you reported yesterday is not what I said and you know that.
‘I said I didn’t do anything wrong,’ he said.
It was not clear what report Cuomo was referring to but a Monday article by the Post reported that Cuomo had said in that day’s briefing that ‘some of his accusers just ‘want attention’ and ‘are jealous.’.’
Cuomo on Tuesday urged both the media and New Yorkers to wait to hear both sides of the story.
‘When I was in the Attorney General’s office, when I was an assistant district attorney, I used to say to my team, ‘Be careful when you only hear one side of the story,’ he said.
‘I say to my daughters now, ‘Be careful when you’re on the other side of the story. You’ve only heard one side of the story,’ Cuomo added.
‘I said yesterday, I haven’t done anything wrong. I said from the beginning, I haven’t done anything wrong.
‘I said to anyone who I made feel awkward or misinterpreted my comments, I apologize. But I didn’t do anything wrong. If someone felt awkward, I apologize.’
Cuomo was also asked about an allegation made by another accuser – Charlotte Bennett – that he had asked her about her experience as a survivor of sexual assault and whether he thought it was appropriate for him as a boss to ask this.
‘Let’s get both sides of the facts and then we’ll see what you think when you hear both sides of the story,’ he said.
Protesters gather at Washington Square Park to demand the resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in March
An impeachment probe was launched by state lawmakers amid the sexual harassment and nursing home scandals
Demonstrators in New York City called on the governor to resign amid sexual assault allegations in March
He also flatly denied there was any truth in recent reports that he fostered a toxic work environment in Albany and suggested there are ‘political agendas’ to the claims.
‘No,’ he responded abruptly.
‘I know that’s what you report that people say. Let’s get both sides of the story. I understand there are political agendas here,’ said Cuomo.
‘I understand your agenda. Let’s get both sides of the story and then the New Yorkers can decide.’
Cuomo’s denials came one day after he took reporter’s questions in person for the first time in months Monday, instead taking questions only over the phone or online where his office has greater control around who is called upon and whether they can ask follow-up questions.
During Monday’s briefing he also faced multiple questions about the allegations.
He insisted he ‘didn’t do anything wrong’ and so is not worried about the results of the State Attorney General’s investigation into the claims.
‘The report can’t say anything different,’ he said.
Cuomo also told reporters that he did not regret asking one of the accusers into the Executive Mansion, although he says he did nothing wrong.
‘I have many women who were working state government. I’m very proud that we probably have more women in senior positions than ever before,’ he said. ‘And I think that’s a good thing.’
Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo aide, came out in December with allegations against him – she further detailed her experience in a February post to Medium
Charlotte Bennett, 25, accused Cuomo of propositioning her in his office in June
Karen Hinton (left), a press aide, and Jessica Bakeman accused Cuomo of inappropriate actions
Anna Ruch (left) and Ana Liss both accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior
McGrath (pictured) claimed Cuomo looked down her shirt to compliment her on her necklace during a meeting with him
Sherry Vill shared this image of Governor Cuomo kissing her on both cheeks in 2017 when touring her house which had flooded
Lindsey Boylan, 36, was the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment.
She worked for Cuomo’s team from March 2015 to October 2018 and recounted her story of sexual harassment in the series of Twitter posts.
She then elaborated on her accusations in a February 24 blog post in which she said Cuomo once suggested a game of strip poker.
Boylan claims the unwanted advances included an unsolicited kiss on the lips in Cuomo’s New York City office. The governor has denied these allegations.
Charlotte Bennett, 25, became the second woman to come forward in February saying he asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life and if she ever had sex with older men and left her feeling ‘terrified’.
She said she complained to Cuomo’s chief of staff and was transferred to another job.
A third accuser, Anna Ruch, 33, then came forward saying Cuomo put his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her after meeting her at a September 2019 wedding.
Karen Hinton, 62, then came forward to accuse Cuomo of an incident in 2000 where she said he summoned her to his ‘dimly lit’ hotel room and embraced her after a work event.
Cuomo called Hinton’s allegations ‘not true’ and labeled her a ‘long-time political adversary of mine’.
Ana Liss, 35, who previously served as Cuomo’s policy and operations aide between 2013 and 2015, then claimed the governor had subjected her to unsolicited advances, including touching her lower back, kissing her hand and quizzing her about her love life.
The most damning allegations leveled against Cuomo to date came from his sixth accuser, whose name has not been released and continues to work in his office.
She alleged that he closed a door, reached under her blouse and fondled her after summoning her to the governor’s mansion in Albany for help with his cellphone.
This woman was the first current staffer to come forward with allegations.
Emergency Medical Service workers unload a patient into their ambulance at the Cobble Hill Health Center in April. Cuomo’s office is also accused of hiding nursing home death data
Journalist Jessica Bakeman then claimed in a first-person article for New York Magazine that she was sexually harassed by Cuomo on several occasions since the start of her career in 2012.
A second current staffer – and the eighth accuser – then came forward.
Alyssa McGrath, a current administrative assistant in Cuomo’s office, said Cuomo looked down her shirt, quizzed her about her marital status, and told her she was beautiful, using an Italian phrase she had to ask her parents to interpret.
McGrath also doubled down on the allegations made by her coworker – the anonymous accuser – saying the woman had told her about the incident.
The ninth woman – Sherry Vill, 55 – then alleged Cuomo grabbed her face and kissed her ‘aggressively and in a sexual manner’ on both cheeks in May 2017 while he was touring her home in Greece, near Rochester, as he inspected local flood damage.
The governor has said he ‘never touched anyone inappropriately’ but has apologized for making anyone feel ‘uncomfortable’.
He has blamed his tactile behavior on his Italian-American heritage.
Cuomo is under investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James over the allegations.
An impeachment investigation has also been launched by state lawmakers.
Cuomo has vowed he will not stand down and has called on people to await the outcome of the investigation.
The governor is also being investigated over claims he covered up COVID-19 deaths in the state’s nursing homes.