One of Andrew Cuomo’s accusers appeared on a radio show to talk about her accusations against the governor.
Former aide Karen Hinton spoke out on WNYC radio.
“He approached me and embraced me too tightly, too long, and was aroused, and I felt extremely uncomfortable and actually shocked by it,” she said.
Meantime, another former aide met with investigators Monday to discuss the allegations of sexual harassment against the New York governor.
Former aide Charlotte Bennett met with investigators via Zoom for more than four hours.
Bennett’s attorney Debra Katz released the following statement today after the questioning.
“She detailed her allegations of sexual harassment and provided the investigators with more than 120 pages of contemporaneous records, as well as other examples of documentary evidence, to corroborate her accusations against Gov. Cuomo and his senior staff,” her attorney said in a statement.
Katz says the investigators have been moving quickly, and with sensitivity, to get to the heart of the allegations.
“We remain confident that their investigation will substantiate Charlotte’s claims of sexual harassment against Gov. Cuomo, as well as the failure of his senior staff to meet their mandatory reporting requirements under the very laws he signed,” the statement said. “She also provided detailed information about the sexually hostile work environment the Governor fostered in both his Manhattan and Albany offices and his deliberate effort to create rivalries and tension among female staffers on whom he bestowed attention. One piece of new information that came to light today was the Governor’s preoccupation with his hand size and what the large size of his hands indicated to Charlotte and other members of his staff. As we have said before, it is imperative that this investigation not only focus on Gov. Cuomo’s actions, but also on the culture of fear, abuse and secrecy that he and his most senior staff cultivated. To that end, we have full confidence in the investigation and the investigators. We urge others who have been subjected to inappropriate conduct by the Governor – and we know you are out there – to come forward with what you experienced. And to those who observed the behavior, we urge you to do the same.”
And late Monday, Jill Basinger, the attorney for Lindsey Boylan, another one of Cuomo’s accusers, released a statement saying that she met with investigators last weekend.
“Ms. Boylan was interviewed last weekend by investigators assigned by the Attorney General’s office. It is clear from the interview that the investigators are moving expeditiously and taking their work seriously. We are pleased with the scope of the investigation and the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of their questioning.”
On Sunday, President Joe Biden passed up an opportunity to join other Democrats calling for the resignation of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is under investigation after multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
Asked by a reporter if Cuomo should resign, Biden responded, “I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us.”
Biden, who made the comments upon returning to the White House from a weekend at his home in Delaware, had not previously spoken publicly about the allegations against Cuomo. However, his comments reflect the wait-and-see position the White House has taken regarding Cuomo’s future.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke out Sunday on scandals. While Schumer is calling for Cuomo’s resignation, Pelosi said on “This Week” that the governor should “look inside his heart to see if he can govern effectively.”
Despite a chorus of calls from lawmakers for his resignation, Cuomo — who has denied all of the allegations and apologized for making anyone feel uncomfortable — has yet to lose the confidence of voters, according to a new Siena College Research Institute poll.
It found that New York voters do not believe the embattled Democrat should resign, saying by a 50%-35% margin he can still do his job despite the ongoing investigations.
According to the poll, 35% of respondents said they believed Cuomo had committed sexual harassment, compared with 24% who said he had not and 41% who said they were unsure.
Additionally, 57% of voters said they were satisfied with how the governor has handled the allegations.
Cuomo’s favorability rating fell to 43%-45%, and only 1/3 said they would re-elect him. A strong majority gave him a negative grade on his handling of nursing home death data.
Voters continue to approve of Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic, 60%-33%, virtually unchanged from 61%-34% last month.
New York State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs released a statement Monday saying it’s time for everyone to get back to work and focus on things like the budget while the investigation plays out.
“Now that virtually every Democratic elected official has made their views known, and the Governor has made clear that he has no intention of resigning until the results of the independent investigations into the allegations have been completed, it is incumbent upon everyone to focus on getting the work of government done,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill de Blasio doubled down on his call for Cuomo to resign, saying accusations against the governor are derailing the efforts to roll out the vaccine.
“He just needs to resign so we can actually turn the page,” the mayor said. “And look, it’s an optimistic time as you started out this morning. It’s an optimistic time. We got to put the past behind us well, and Andrew Cuomo can’t lead us into the future, we’ve got the people to state ready to reopen, but we need to get him out of the way to do it.”
Seven women have accused the governor of some form of sexual harassment or inappropriate touching.
ABCNEWS
