Prominent Democrats in New York are ripping Gov. Andrew Cuomo after a second woman came out with new sexual harassment allegations against him — with some even calling for his resignation.
Andrew Yang, the former presidential candidate-turned-New York City mayoral candidate, said in a statement that there should be an “aggressive independent investigation” into the claims against the governor.
“Anyone who has experienced sexual harassment in any situation should feel empowered to step forward and know they can share the truth of their experiences without fear or retaliation,” Yang said. “Albany must show they take all allegations seriously through action. That starts with an aggressive independent investigation and an acknowledgement that harassment has no place in public service.”
Meanwhile, New York state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a progressive who serves as the Senate’s ethics-panel chairman and has described herself as a “survivor of sexual abuse,” wrote on Twitter, “@NYGovCuomo, you are a monster, and it is time for you to go. Now.”
She later called for for Cuomo to resign.
“The assertions against Governor Andrew M. Cuomo by Charlotte Bennett detail behavior that is unacceptable,” Biaggi wrote. “I am especially horrified by the comments the Governor made to Charlotte about her experience with sexual assault — comments he did not deny making. They are the epitome of a hostile work environment.”
“As a New Yorker, a legislator, Chair of the Senate Ethics and Internal Governance Committee and a survivor of sexual abuse, I am calling for Governor Cuomo to resign.”
Bennett, 25, worked as an executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Cuomo administration until she left in November. She told The New York Times that the harassment began in the spring of 2020.
The Times reported that Bennett claimed Cuomo, 63, had asked her questions about her sex life, whether her relationships were monogamous, and whether she ever had sex with older men. The interview with the Times was prompted after Bennett reacted to the sexual harassment accusation against Cuomo made by ex-aide Lindsey Boylan on Wednesday by tweeting, “For those wondering what it’s like to work for the Cuomo admin, read @LindseyBoylan’s story.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler D-NY), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, called the sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo “deeply troubling” in a statement posted late Saturday.
“The recent allegations of sexual harassment against Governor Cuomo are deeply troubling and deserve a thorough investigation,” Nadler wrote. “It must be transparent, impartial, and above all else, independent. As has become standard practice in the State of New York when allegations relate directly to the Executive, Governor Cuomo should refer the matter to the Attorney General, who should, in turn, appoint an independent investigator.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also joined the growing number of lawmakers from the state calling for Cuomo to face an investigation that is not initiated or controlled by one of his appointees.
“Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett’s detailed accounts of sexual harassment by Gov. Cuomo are extremely serious and painful to read,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “There must be an independent investigation – not one led by an individual selected by the Governor, but by the office of the Attorney General.”
This is an excerpt from The Daily Wire.
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