Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY)

Ex-aide says Cuomo sexually harassed her

Lindsey Boylan, 36, who is now running for Manhattan borough president, served in the administra­tion from March 2015 to October 2018

- By Karen Matthews

The governor’s office says there ‘simply is no truth’ to Lindsey Boylan’s allegation, which did not include specifics.

NEWYORK » A former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who is now running for Manhattan borough president accused him of sexual harassment in a series of tweets Sunday, saying he made inappropri­ate comments about her appearance.

Lindsey Boylan tweeted that the Democratic governor “sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched.”

“I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversati­on? This was the way for years,” she continued.

Asked for comment, Cuomo’s press secretary Caitlin Girouard said, “There is simply no truth to these claims.”

Boylan, 36, worked for the Cuomo administra­tion from March 2015 to October 2018, serving first as executive vice president of Empire State Developmen­t, and then as a special adviser to Cuomo for economic developmen­t.

She did not provide details of the alleged harassment and didn’t immediatel­y respond to messages from The Associated Press. Boylan later tweeted, “To be clear: I have no interest in talking to journalist­s. I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops.”

Boylan’s sexual harassment allegation against Cuomo comes after The Associated Press and others reported that the 63-year-old governor is under considerat­ion for the job of attorney general in the administra­tion of President- elect Joe Biden.

Earlier t his month, Boylan had also tweeted about her work experience in the Cuomo administra­tion, listing it as the worst job she ever had.

“I tried to quit three times before it stuck. I’ve worked hard my whole life. Hustled - fake it till you make it style,” she wrote. “That environmen­t is beyond toxic. I’m still unwrapping it years later in therapy!”

Boylan ran against U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler in the 2020 Democratic primary, garnering 22 percent of the vote in a campaign in which she argued that the incum

bent wasn’t progressiv­e enough. She announced last month that she is running in the 2021 Democratic

primary to succeed Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who is termlimite­d.

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 ?? JACQUELYN MARTIN — ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? In this May 27, 2020, file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington.
JACQUELYN MARTIN — ASSOCIATED PRESS In this May 27, 2020, file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington.

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