Dems dismayed by alleged behavior
But party lawmakers stop short of calling for Cuomo to resign
Democratic state legislators from the Mid-Hudson Valley are stopping short of calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign over allegations of sexual harassment, now made by three women, but says his reported behavior toward the women is disturbing.
Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, said Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, “apparently has a dark side.
“What is becoming evident is that several of those around Governor Cuomo were placed in untenable circumstances, by his own admission,” Cahill said in an email. “His attitude and behavior, for which he now offers an unacceptably weak version of what he perceives as contrition, extended beyond the workplace to other settings as well.”
Three women have accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior. A former aide alleges he kissed her
on the mouth without her consent and suggested they play strip poker; another former aide, who’s 25, says the governor asked her about her sex life and whether she’d be open to a relationship with an older man; and a woman who’s not in state government says Cuomo touched her lower back at a wedding where they met in 2019, then grabbed her cheeks and asked if he could kiss her.
“The revelations and accusations against him by several women evinces the character many of us have endured for years in our interactions with him,” Cahill wrote. “Sexual harassment is a symptom of a much more pervasive personality issue. Whether it is the unsettling hubris of a presidential candidate who declares that he can shoot someone and still get elected, as former President Donald Trump bragged on the campaign trail, or a sitting governor threatening to destroy the career of someone who dares to challenge him in any way, a discourse of intimidation has no place among responsible people in modern society.”
“Threatening to destroy” refers to something Cuomo allegedly said to Democratic state Assemblyman Ron Kim of Queens last month.
Cahill also lamented that “the governor’s personal issues persist in commanding much of the attention that should be given to important public issues” like the COVID-19 pandemic and the state budget.
Assemblywoman Didi
Barrett, D-Hudson, also criticized Cuomo’s alleged behavior toward his accusers.
“It is highly disturbing that we continue to see examples of Governor Cuomo’s disrespectful and troubling behavior towards women,” Barrett said in a prepared statement. “So let me reaffirm my strong belief that there is no place for sexual harassment or bullying in any social setting or any workplace — most particularly in government, where we should be leading by example.”
State Attorney General Letitia James, also a Democrat, is moving forward with an investigation of the allegations against Cuomo. She is expected to deputize an outside law firm to conduct an inquiry with full subpoena power, and the findings will be disclosed
in a public report.
Barret said she has “full confidence” in the planned investigation.
“Everyone is entitled to the opportunity to tell their truths and that is what an investigation will do,” she said.
Sen. James Skoufis, DCornwall, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday, but he said in statement Saturday, before the third allegation surfaced, that “sexual harassment cannot be tolerated, regardless of how powerful the individuals involved are.”
“The allegations ... against the governor are deeply disturbing and warrant an independent, outside, expeditious investigation,” Skoufis said.
State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-Saugerties, and Assemblyman Jonathon Jacobson, D-Newburgh, also
did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
Two GOP state lawmakers from the region on Tuesday reiterated their calls for Cuomo to reign.
“Notably, the governor has not denied that these incidents happened,” said Sen. Mike Martucci, R-New Hampton. “Instead, he has offensively written his behavior off as being ‘playful.’ His tone-deaf statement on these accusations is in fact an admission of guilt.”
Cuomo issued a statement Sunday in which he said his behavior was an attempt to be “playful” was “misinterpreted as unwanted flirtation.” That led to accusations that he was blaming his accusers for his own behavior.
“Had the governor taken the sexual harassment course mandated by his own administration, he
would know that the key issue is not the intent of the harasser but the perspective of the victim,” Martucci said. “In this case, all three survivors have been clear that they felt scared, offended and overwhelmed by the governor’s unwanted attention.
“Given all of this, Governor Cuomo must resign immediately,” the senator said.
Assemblyman Chris Tague, R-Schoharie, called for Cuomo’s resignation shortly after the first accusation surfaced and said he “will continue to do so until he is out of office one way or another.”
Sen. Peter Oberacker, RSchenevus, stopped short of saying Cuomo should resign immediately but said the governor should step down if the allegations are “found to be true” and should “face additional consequences.”