Cuomo took advantage of #MeToo era
Governor aligned with movement for his own benefit
Two summers ago, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo stared into a camera, signed a bill and made a promise to the women in the state. “Let’s actually change things,” he said, underscoring each word of resolve with a chop of his hands as he approved sweeping new protections against sexual harassment.
The next day, he resumed his unwelcome pursuit of a female state trooper, according to a report released last week by the state’s attorney general. “Why don’t you wear a dress?” he asked her Aug. 13, 2019, the report said. A month later, she told investigators, Cuomo ran an unwanted hand across her belly.
The complaints against Cuomo can seem dully familiar in the #MeToo era: another set of stories about awkward come-ons and young women scared of speaking up, this time set in Albany. But just as the world was waking up to the predations of powerful men several years ago — with New York City as the epicenter of the wrongdoing — Cuomo used the state’s highest office to commit fresh offenses, according to the report. All the while, he publicly aligned himself with the #MeToo movement, enhancing his reputation and generating campaign cash.
Of the 11 women the report described as victims of Cuomo’s harassment, at least eight said they experienced it after early October 2017, when the revelations about sexual misconduct by producer Harvey Weinstein broke. About that time, Cuomo asked a young aide named Lindsey Boylan to play strip poker, she said. In November 2017, as the tide of accusations against other men rose, Cuomo targeted the state trooper, asking for her to be assigned to his detail, the report said. From there, it claimed, he moved on to offenses that included groping. The three-term Democrat has denied that he “touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” and suggested that the attorney general’s investigation was politically motivated.
During that period, Cuomo not only made it easier for New Yorkers to bring forth sexual harassment claims, but approved legislation lengthening the statute of limitations for rape. As he boasted of those accomplishments, he surrounded himself with powerhouse feminists such as actressactivists Mira Sorvino and
Julianne Moore. He allied himself with leaders of Time’s Up, the genderequality organization started in the wake of the Weinstein allegations, and leaned on them for advice as he later fended off allegations.
So if a high-ranking politician can ignore changing social standards, flout new rules as soon as he passes them and use #MeToo for his own protection as he allegedly violates women, where does that leave the quest for progress?
The report by the attorney general was meant to be a meticulous investigation into the governor’s actions. But it is also taking on a second role: as a road map to the limits of what has been achieved since 2017. Workplace sexual misconduct persists. Victims still don’t have effective, safe ways to report. And even major shifts in the law may not be enough.
“It’s not just about toughening the laws,” Anita Hill, who introduced the term sexual harassment to many Americans three decades ago, said. “You also have to change the mindset of people who may believe that they’re above the law.”
Lining up the allegations in the report against Cuomo’s public record also shows the degree to which #MeToo can be exploited. In March 2018, Slate reported, Cuomo sent out a fundraising email with the subject line “NY Stands with #MeToo.” The message touted “a new campaign to capture the momentum of the #MeToo movement and turn it into action” and concluded with a warning: “If you continue to turn a blind eye to sexual harassment, this November your #TimesUp!”
In the four years since #MeToo swept the globe, corporations have become far more sensitive to sexual misconduct, lawyers and activists say. Women seem increasingly vocal, especially about backing up one another’s accounts. And activists have pushed to strengthen laws across the country. But almost no one thinks the original problem has abated.
“I do not think there has been a diminution of sexual harassment at all,” said Debra Katz, a lawyer who represents Charlotte Bennett, one of Cuomo’s accusers.
The governor’s conduct — signing a law one day, allegedly violating it the next — shows how long it can take for even robust legislation to acquire force.
“Activism that is just about getting laws on the books is just not enough,” Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, said. “Comprehensive sex education is more important than passing new laws.”