A former aide to Andrew Cuomo has claimed the New York governor sexually harassed her, kissing her on the lips and inviting her to play strip poker.
The claims: Lindsey Boylan, a candidate for Manhattan borough president, published a Medium post on Wednesday accusing the Democrat lawmaker of exhibiting a pattern of inappropriate behavior toward his female staff.
- “As I got up to leave and walk toward an open door, he stepped in front of me and kissed me on the lips. I was in shock, but I kept walking,” Boylan wrote, saying the encounter occurred after a one-on-one briefing with the governor.
- “I left past the desk of Stephanie Benton. I was scared she had seen the kiss,” she added. “The idea that someone might think I held my high-ranking position because of the Governor’s ‘crush’ on me was more demeaning than the kiss itself.”
- Boylan initially accused Cuomo of harassment in December, but had not gone into detail about the alleged misconduct until Wednesday.
That’s not all: Boylan made other claims about instances of Cuomo’s inappropriate behavior, including the governor’s suggestion they play strip poker on his official plane, calling Boylan by his rumored ex-girlfriend’s name, and commenting on the weight of female staffers.
- She included screenshots of emails and texts allegedly substantiating some of her claims about other staff members’ discomfort and some of the governor’s comments.
Cuomo’s office issued a blanket denial of Boylan’s claims.
A reckoning: Cuomo has faced mounting criticism for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New York and his “bullying” style.
- After an inquiry by New York Attorney General Letitia James found nursing home resident deaths in New York had been underreported by as much as 50 percent, Cuomo’s administration was accused of conducting a cover-up.
- Boylan’s story follows allegations from Democratic State Assemblyman Ron Kim’s account of the governor threatening him for refusing to participate in the cover-up.
Kim, a Democrat from Queens, has since called for Cuomo’s impeachment.
