When Will He Get the Message? It’s Over! Time to Quit!
Two more accusers have come forward to claim that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harrassed them, bringing the total now to 7. On March 9, the Albany Times Union reported on an unnamed accuser who still works for the governor and alleges touching and improper conduct by Cuomo in the Governor’s mansion, while former Cuomo staffer Jessica Bakeman came forward to allege improper conduct by Cuomo in 2014.
The story in the Albany Times-Union last week is the most serious allegation against the Governor, as it contradicts his prior statements that “I never touched anyone inappropriately” The aide, who still works for the Governor but has not released her name to the public, was watching Cuomo last week during a press conference denying the allegations when she got so upset that her colleagues and supervisors realized that she had a story to tell. Her story is that the Governor asked her to come upstairs in the mansion to help him “with his cell phone.” Upon arrival, the alleged victim claims that Cuomo groped her under her blouse. Her supervisor reported the incident to Albany police.
Victim #7 is reporter Jessica Bakeman, who describes several uncomfortable incidents with Cuomo when she was covering the Governor in 2014. “Andrew Cuomo’s hands had been on my body — on my arms, my shoulders, the small of my back, my waist — often enough by late 2014 that I didn’t want to go to the holiday party he was hosting for the Albany press corps at the executive mansion,” writes Bakeman om a New York Magazine column on March 12, explaining that she went to the party anyway.
“He took my hand, as if to shake it, then refused to let go. He put his other arm around my back, his hand on my waist, and held me firmly in place while indicating to a photographer he wanted us to pose for a picture….”I’m sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable? I thought we were going steady,” said Cuomo.
“I stood there in stunned silence, shocked and humiliated. But, of course, that was the point. I never thought the governor wanted to have sex with me. It wasn’t about sex. It was about power. He wanted me to know that I was powerless, that I was small and weak, that I did not deserve what relative power I had: a platform to hold him accountable for his words and actions. He wanted me to know that he could take my dignity away at any moment with an inappropriate comment or a hand on my waist,” writes Bakeman in what has become an eerlily familiar accusation.
Reports now have staffers to Cuomo ‘abandoning ship,’ and leaving the employment of New York State amid the crisis. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, one of the three most powerful elected officials in NY, has announced the start of an impeachment investigation.
On Saturday March 13, Cuomo continued to cling to power, and hope that a miracle will occur allowing him to continue to serve out his term, which officially ends at the end of next year, 2021. Cuomo asked New Yorkers to “wait for the facts,” before judging him, adding “There is still a question of the truth. I did not do what has been alleged. Period.”
But the narrative in the public is best described by Bakeman, who writes, “The way Cuomo operates is by daring women to make an impossible choice: endure his abuse silently or speak up and risk your career.”
The Cuomo scandal has also officially reached Washington DC, with critcs questioning why President Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris remain silent.
More than 30 women have spoken out against Mr Cuomo in recent weeks, accusing him of sexual harassment, assault, bullying, and racism. Mr Cuomo has denied all allegations. The President has said through White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki that he supports the seven accusers.
Cuomo’s first accuser, Lindsay Boylan tweeted”The governor has denied all wrongdoing,” Boylan wrote on Twitter. “He got on his platform today and said “there are many motivations of why people do things.” He is calling up hate and speculation to be directed to his accusers. All harm and hate directed at the women sits squarely on @NYGovCuomo.”
Boylan later tweeted and deleted this post–“It also calls into question the judgment and courage of both @POTUS and @KamalaHarris,.”
