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 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.”
#BREAKING: Tonight I issued a statement regarding assertions of sexual harassment against Governor Cuomo.
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. pic.twitter.com/2aKiN8CIkR
— Alessandra Biaggi (@SenatorBiaggi) February 28, 2021
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.”
On Wednesday, Boylan wrote a lengthy article on Medium detailing her allegations against Cuomo, beginning with a suggestion the government made while the two were on his taxpayer-funded jet in which he suggested they play “strip poker.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Boylan said she responded, claiming her statement was made “sarcastically and awkwardly” and that she “tried to play it cool.”
“Governor Andrew Cuomo has created a culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected. His inappropriate behavior toward women was an affirmation that he liked you, that you must be doing something right. He used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences,” Boylan wrote.
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.”
Related: Now It’s Two: Second Woman Claims Cuomo Sexually Harassed Her