On Tuesday, the Albany Times-Union reported that an unnamed female aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo had filed a complaint against him accusing him of touching her inappropriately. On Wednesday, the paper reported the explosive details from the complaint: She says she was groped by Cuomo after she had been summoned to the governor’s residence in late 2020.
According to the account, the staff member — whose identity is being withheld by the Times-Union because she is not authorized to speak publicly — was summoned to the executive mansion on the pretext of fixing a minor issue with his cell phone, according to a person with knowledge of the complaint. The two were alone in Cuomo’s private residence on the second floor when he allegedly closed the door, reached under her shirt, and groped her before she told him to stop. In response to the latest allegation, Cuomo described the allegations as “gut-wrenching,” but that he had “never done anything like this.”
Like other women who have come forward accusing Cuomo of misconduct, the aide who filed the complaint is much younger than the governor. She also alleges that he had touched her on other occasions, and that he was often flirtatious with her. The latest allegation by the unnamed staff member compounds the crisis the governor is currently facing due to his behavior with women: She is now the sixth person to accuse him of misconduct, and as the Times-Union notes, her account “could potentially be pursued as a misdemeanor assault.” On Thursday, Albany Police Department officials said they had been notified by the governor’s office and by New York State Police about the alleged incident, which may have risen to the “level of a crime.” Albany police spokesperson said they have not opened a criminal investigation, but that they have offered services to the alleged victim, “as we would do with any other report or incident.”
Though he has aggressively resisted calls to resign, the accusation reported on Wednesday has increased the pressure on Cuomo, who is also facing a crisis over a potential cover-up of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes last spring. By Thursday morning, over 55 Democratic state legislators had called for Cuomo to step down, and by Thursday afternoon, the state Assembly had announced plans to establish a judiciary committee with subpoena power to investigate the governor.
