ALBANY, N.Y. — In his first face-to-face encounter with journalists in months, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday flatly denied he had executed something inappropriate with any of the ladies who’ve accused him of sexual misconduct and harassment.
Talking to reporters on the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, the Democrat deserted his previous method of expressing contrition for some previous habits whereas declining to deal with whether or not particular allegations have been true.
“You have been in these rooms. You already know the reality. So are you able to inform the folks of the state of New York sure or no? Did you do the belongings you have been accused of?” requested New York Instances reporter Jesse McKinley.
“To place it very merely, no.” Cuomo mentioned.
“All of the groping, the sexual harassment, you deny all of that?” McKinley mentioned.
“That’s proper. Sure,” Cuomo mentioned.
A number of present and former state workers and different girls have accused Cuomo of constructing undesirable sexual remarks and advances, giving them undesirable kisses or touching them inappropriately.
One feminine aide mentioned Cuomo groped her breasts after summoning her to his official residence.
Earlier than Monday, Cuomo had repeatedly denied he touched anybody inappropriately. He’s mentioned “sorry” for making some folks uncomfortable with feedback or gestures he claimed have been playful.
Cuomo mentioned he likes to hug and kiss folks due to his Italian-American heritage.
Requested if he would think about disciplining himself or resigning if the state legal professional basic, who’s investigating the claims, studies he did harass girls, Cuomo dismissed that risk.
“The report can’t say something totally different as a result of I didn’t do something fallacious,” Cuomo mentioned.
This was the primary time Cuomo has allowed a bunch of journalists to query him in particular person since sexual harassment allegations surfaced in December.
For months, citing COVID-19 precautions, he has taken questions solely by way of phone or web convention calls — boards the place his employees can management who asks questions and journalists typically aren’t allowed to ask follow-up queries.
A lawyer for Charlotte Bennett, a former aide who accused Cuomo of hitting on her whereas they labored collectively, mentioned the governor’s new declare he did nothing fallacious was “revisionist historical past.”
“Simply weeks in the past he admitted quite a few instances to creating ‘jokes’ and different inappropriate feedback to Ms. Bennett, that are outlined as sexual harassment below the very insurance policies he enacted,” the legal professional, Debra Katz, mentioned.
“Does he actually not perceive that sexually propositioning a 25 year-old staffer after making inappropriate feedback of a sexual nature is unlawful?” she requested.
Cuomo has defied requires his resignation from a lot of New York’s most influential Democrats, together with most members of the state’s congressional delegation and a majority of state lawmakers.
He has urged the general public to await the outcomes of investigations being carried out by Lawyer Basic Letitia James and the state Meeting’s judiciary committee, which is exploring whether or not there are grounds to question him.
James and the legislative committee are additionally investigating whether or not Cuomo used state sources for his ebook on pandemic management. And the Meeting committee and federal prosecutors are scrutinizing his administration’s months-long refusal to launch what number of nursing dwelling residents died of COVID-19 in all.
Marina Villeneuve, The Related Press
