New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office has started its own investigation after allegations emerged that the Democratic governor had groped a female aide at his mansion, the Albany Times Union reported.
"We have our own inquiries ongoing", a senior aide to Cuomo shared with the edition. "We have an obligation to investigate any claim of sexual harassment. And we, after reporting [the female aide's allegations] to the [attorney general], were directed to continue our own inquiry. ... So there are multiple inquiries", the aide summed up.
The accuser in question came forward earlier this month, becoming the sixth on to take aim at Cuomo, alleging that he had reached under an aide’s blouse and touched her inappropriately on a few occasions. Her story reportedly came to light after she became visibly upset at a press conference wherein the governor denied allegations from other women that he had taken the liberty to make suggestive gestures. The woman hasn’t filed a formal complaint against the governor and continues to work at the office, the Times Union report has it. Her attorney reportedly referred to the probe, which is understood to be taking place separately from New York Attorney General Letitia James' one, as a “shadow investigation”.
“We fully informed the AG's office of the required process with this type of allegation and they said to follow it. The matter was referred to GOER [the Governor's Office of Employee Relations] and informed local law enforcement and that is the full extent of the action”, Beth Garvey, acting counsel for Cuomo, told The Hill.
There are officially two investigations into the Cuomo sexual harassment case – one by NY AG Letitia James, and the other by the State Assembly. While Mr Cuomo eventually admitted that some of his actions or remarks could have been misinterpreted, he has repeatedly dismissed the women’s claims as false.
"I believe a woman has the right to come forward and express her opinion and express issues and concerns that she has", Mr Cuomo said on 14 December, after the first of the overall seven accusers, Lindsey Boylan, who is running to lead a Manhattan borough, tweeted her claims. "But it's just not true", Cuomo charged.
The 63-year-old governor has in recent weeks come under intense pressure from politicians from both sides of the aisle to step down over the sexual abuse claims, as well as allegations he mismanaged nursing homes and underreported deaths among COVID patients residing there at the height of the pandemic.
Yet, Cuomo, who has been NY's governor since 2011, vowed last week not to bow to what he called political pressure and patiently await the outcomes of the probes.