New accusations against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo loom as Debra Katz, the attorney for one of his main accusers, Charlotte Bennett, says the governor demanded that her client sing “Danny Boy” for members of the senior staff in an office hazing incident.
“It’s a bizarre request, but he says, ‘I want you to memorise these lyrics',” attorney Debra Katz told CBS News.
“She says, ‘I don’t want to sing ‘Danny Boy.” He says, ‘sing ‘Danny Boy',” Katz said.
Katz said that at that point, Cuomo’s top aide Melissa DeRosa interceded, saying that Cuomo is hazing Bennett.
“The governor then starts booming the song 'Danny Boy' and he’s singing himself and saying ‘sing with me!',” Katz said.
Charlotte Bennett is one of seven women that are accusing Cuomo of inappropriate behaviour.
The former aide was the second to step forward with harassment claims, saying last month that the governor asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life and even asked her to “find him a girlfriend". She noted, however, that Cuomo had never made a physical advance.
Cuomo, who is facing bipartisan calls from New York lawmakers to resign and an ongoing impeachment probe amid harassment allegations, repeatedly denied claims that he has ever “touched anyone inappropriately”.
During a press conference on 3 March, the governor apologised for making women “feel uncomfortable” but did not admit to any sexual misconduct.
Cuomo previously vowed not to bow to political pressure and step down over the allegations, saying he was confident a state investigation would clear him of any wrongdoing.
Cuomo is also facing an independent sexual harassment investigation overseen by the office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and a separate review into the alleged misreporting of a large number of COVID-19 deaths that had occurred in nursing homes across the state last year.