New York Gov. Cuomo to speak publicly amid sexual harassment claims
In this file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference against a backdrop of medical supplies at the Jacob Javits Center.[AP/ John Minchillo]
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to address the public for the first time in days in the wake of several sexual harassment allegations.
He’s set to speak at 1 p.m. Tuesday in a video briefing on the coronavirus outbreak, according to the governor’s press office. It wasn’t clear whether he intended to address the allegations or take questions from reporters.
Cuomo has avoided public appearances for days as some fellow Democrats call for him to resign.
The governor last spoke to reporters during a teleconference call on Feb. 22. His last media briefing on video was Feb. 19.
He hasn’t spoken publicly since giving New York Attorney General Letitia James a referral to investigate claims that he sexually harassed at least two women in his administration.
One former aide, Charlotte Bennett, 25, said Cuomo quizzed her about her sex life and asked whether she would be open to a relationship with an older man. Bennett rejected Cuomo’s attempted apology, in which he said he’d been trying to be “playful” and that his jokes had been misinterpreted as flirting.
Another former aide, Lindsey Boylan, said Cuomo commented on her appearance inappropriately, kissed her without her consent at the end of a meeting, and once suggested they play strip poker while aboard his state-owned jet. Cuomo has denied Boylan’s allegations.
And another woman, Anna Ruch, told The New York Times that Cuomo put his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her at a September 2019 wedding.