Criminal Investigation Possible Against Governor Cuomo Amid Multiple Charges of Sexual Harassment
An alleged incident involving Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and a female aide could lead to criminal charges. The Albany Police Department was informed by the New York State Police and the governor’s office about the alleged incident. According to Steve Smith, a spokesman for the Albany police, the woman has not submitted a formal complaint. The woman has not been identified by the Albany police, but they have reached out to a lawyer for her.
Smith says that reaching out to a lawyer for the alleged victim does not mean that a criminal investigation has been started, but that they have offered these services “as we would do with any other report or incident.”
Gov. Cuomo has been accused by an unidentified aide of groping her in the governor’s mansion late last year. According to The Times Union, “The aide, who is younger than Mr. Cuomo, was summoned to the governor’s private residence on the second floor to assist him with a technical issue when Mr. Cuomo reached under her blouse and began touching her.” Gov. Cuomo denies the allegations.
According to Beth Garvey, Cuomo’s attorney, "As a matter of state policy when allegations of physical contact are made, the agency informs the complainant that they should contact their local police department. If they decline, the agency has an obligation to reach out themselves and inform the department of the allegation."
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan gave a statement saying that the unnamed aide has not filed a formal police report regarding the alleged incident. According to Sheehan, "The act of speaking out after being victimized can be a deeply painful and traumatic experience. The young woman referenced in recent reports has the right to determine who she speaks to regarding her experience and when. The Attorney General has commenced an investigation into previous allegations against the Governor, and I have the utmost confidence in her ability to investigate this latest report. At this time no criminal complaint involving this matter has been filed by the victim with the Albany Police Department, but Chief [Eric] Hawkins assured me this evening that APD stands ready to assist any victim who seeks to come forward."
Some of the women who have come forward have been identified: Anna Ruch, 33; Lindsey Boylan, 36; and Charlotte Bennett, 25. These three women say that Cuomo made unwanted sexual advances toward them during a period between December 2016 and June 2020.
Boylan is a former aide of Cuomo’s. On December 13, 2020, she released tweets saying what Cuomo did to her. She tweeted, “Yes [Cuomo] sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks," she continued. "Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years." She says they met in January 2016, when her boss told her that Cuomo had a “crush” on her. In October 2017, while on a government plane together, he allegedly asked her to play strip poker. Also, in 2018, she said that he kissed her. "As I got up to leave and walk toward an open door, he stepped in front of me and kissed me on the lips," Boylan wrote. "I was in shock, but I kept walking."
On February 27, Bennett came forward alleging that he asked about her sex life. She worked as an executive assistant and health policy adviser from 2019 until she left last November. According to ABC News, “Bennett alleged that on June 5 she was alone with Cuomo in his state Capitol office when he allegedly asked her questions about her personal life that she interpreted as insinuating a sexual relationship. He asked her if she thought age made a difference in romantic relationships, whether she was monogamous in her relationships and if she ever had sex with older men.”
The New York Times published a piece from Ruch, who did not work for Cuomo. She met him at a wedding reception in September 2019. According to ABC News, she alleged “Cuomo placed his hands on her bare lower back and face and ‘asked if he could kiss her.’ She also shared a photo of the alleged incident with the paper.” She says the incident left her "uncomfortable and embarrassed" and made her feel like she "didn't have a choice in that matter."
On March 11, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said that the Assembly Judiciary Committee is going to start an impeachment investigation.
As of now, six victims have come forward alleging that Gov. Cuomo harassed them.
