Lindsey Boylan, who served as a Deputy Secretary fo Economic Development in the adminstration of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, accused her former boss of sexual harrassment on December 13.
Boylan, who worked for Cuomo and New York State from 2015-2018, Tweeted “Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years.”
“Not knowing what to expect what’s the most upsetting part aside from knowing that no one would do a damn thing even when they saw it. No one. And I *know* I am not the only woman. … I hate that some men, like @NYGovCuomo abuse their power,” Tweeted Boylan, who recently was a candidate for Congress and is now running for Manhattan Borough President.
While Boylan’s claims were rejected by Cuomo’s press secretary, Caitlin Girouard, who stated, “There is simply no truth to these claims,” Dan Branda, republican candidate for Westchester County Executive, called Boylan’s accusations “credible.”
“Among young professionals in the political field, it has been an open secret for ten years that the Governor’s office is a toxic work environment. Boylan’s charges are not a one-off: These are credible accusations made by a credible person with everything to lose by coming forward. Rather than hide behind a cowardly denial from his press secretary, Governor Cuomo must accept responsibility, apologize to Lindsey Boylan, and take proactive steps to change the culture of his office,” said Branda, who served under former County Executive Rob Astorino.
Both the New York Times and the Albany Times-Union ran stories on Boylan’s accusations on December 13 and 14. The Times-Union story sought to discredit Boylan by interviewing three anonymous, female, former employees of the Governor who did not experience any sexual harrassment in Cuomo’s office. The Times-Union also obtained (in record time?) personnel records of Boylan’s when she worked for Cuomo that showed that she had been accused of “bullying, harrassing behavior.”
Branda also challenged the reporting of this story by the Times-Union. “The reporting on this story has been grossly negligent. The Times-Union in particular, but also the subsequent reporting by the New York Times, seems designed—perhaps not intentionally but certainly by effect—to unfairly discredit Boylan and curry favor with Cuomo. Three random, anonymous former employees have absolutely no standing when it comes to how Boylan was harassed by her boss.”
More comments from Boylan about her former employer include: “If people weren’t deathly afraid of him, (Cuomo) they’d be saying the same thing and you’d already know the stories. Seriously, the messages and texts I receive when I speak the truth about this. … It’s a whole book of people who have been harmed.”
Governor Cuomo denied the allegations in a press conference on Dec. 14. “Look, I fought for and I believe a woman has the right to come forward and express her opinion and express issues and concerns that she has. But it’s just not true,” said Cuomo.
Boylan, 36, had a 5 year old daughter at the time of her employment and had disagreed with the flexibility given to mother’s working for the State,and in her capacity in the Governor’s office. She refused further comment or interview after her Tweets, writing “To be clear: I have no interest in talking to journalists. I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops. My worst fear is that this continues.”
Cuomo is reported to be under consideration by President-elect Joe Biden to serve in his adminstration as Attorney General. Boylan said that if Biden were to select Cuomo for AG, it would be a mistake. “There are fewer things more scary than giving this man, who exists without ethics, even more control. I saw how he wielded power for years. He takes advantage of people, including me. I hope @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris don’t do this.”
Cuomo has denied any interest in joining the Biden-Harris admistration, commenting that “My job as New York governor is nowhere near over.”
