A tired and lonely Governor Andrew Cuomo, fresh off his break up with celebrity chef Sandra Lee, asked Westchester native Charlotte Bennett to find him a girlfriend, according to the latest allegations from the 25 year old former employee of the 62 year old Cuomo.
Bennett sat down with CBS Evening News host Norah O’Donnell to tell her story after Cuomo held his first public press conference in days at which he apologized…kind of.
The response to Bennett’s allegations has been supportive and almost entirely positive in and around the Katonah community that she grew up in and graduated from Katonah -Lewisboro high school in 2013.
“I believe her and think she is telling the truth -100%, “ said Diane Fitzgibbons, outside of the A&P in Bedford. “I also think that her history of working with and dealing with domestic violence is even more of a reason why should wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
In her CBS interview, Bennett said, “It’s hard enough sharing this story when it’s true. I can’t imagine what it would be like to sit here and tell you lies. I really looked up to him. I looked up to the governor. He was my mentor — I really did see it that way. ‘
During their time alone, Bennett told O’Donnell that he asked questions about her sex life that were a way to proposition her for sex. “I thought, he’s trying to sleep with me. The governor’s trying to sleep with me and I’m deeply uncomfortable and I have to get out of this room as soon as possible… he implied to me that I was old enough for him and he was lonely,”
“Do you believe he was propositioning you?” O’Donnell asked.
“Yes,” Bennett answered.
“For what?” O’Donnell asked.
“Sex,” Bennett replied.
During his press conference, Governor Cuomo said, “I did not intend it. I didn’t mean it that way. But if that’s how they felt, that’s all that matters and I apologize.” Cuomo refused to mention Bennett by name, calling her “the young woman who worked here, who said that I made her feel uncomfortable in the workplace.”
Bennett called it a “non apology” “It’s not an issue of my feelings. It’s an issue of his actions. The fact is that he was sexually harassing me and he has not apologized for sexually harassing me. And he can’t even use my name,”
Others in Bedford thought that Cuomo’s actions, and the large age gap between the two, were “pervish.” “She told him that she played soccer with his daughter. That should have been the alarm that went off in his head to stop hitting on her. What the heck is wrong with our Governor?” said Jack Foley at the Bedford A&P.
Allison Ferrone said, “What Governor Cuomo did is not progressive leadership. He needs to go ASAP, and if he holds on then that’s it—he’s not running for re-election, not as a Democrat. I will work against him.”
Bennett’s ties to her community in Northern Westchester were also remembered by the few people we spoke to in Bedford. Specifically, her volunteer service for the Bedford Volunteer Ambulance Corps., Hope’s Door, and for County Legislator Kitley Covill.
Eventually, according to Bennett, Cuomo asked her to find him a girlfriend. “He asked me a few questions about how to use his iPhone and then sends me back to wait. And finally, he calls me back in and asks if I’ve found him a girlfriend yet. I said, Not yet. I said I was working on it.”
A Quinnipiac poll found that while 55% of New Yorkers don’t want him to resign, 59% said he should not run for re-election. Cuomo’s approval rating has dropped by 30 points since his peak during the pandemic in 2020.
In the same poll, three-quarters of voters (75 percent) believe Governor Cuomo did something wrong when it comes to his handling of the way nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic were reported.
Yonkers City Councilwoman and County Clerk candidate Shanae Williams said, “I commend Charlotte Bennett, Lindsey Boylan, and Anna Ruch for their courage in speaking up against Governor Cuomo, and I believe their stories. Their experiences are both horrifying and not uncommon in the workplace. It’s time we end the era of powerful men who get away with harassment and abusive behavior behind closed doors. In light of the clear evidence that has come out, I’m calling on Governor Cuomo to resign today.”
