New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been accused of sexual harassment by his former aide, Lindsey Boylan. According to a detailed account released by Boylan on Feb. 24, 2021, Cuomo allegedly kissed her without consent.
She further accounted that he asked her to play strip poker. According to her Medium post, Cuomo kissed her against her will in his Manhattan office.
Boylan is currently running for Manhattan borough president. She previously worked for Cuomo and the state’s economic development agency.
This sexual harassment allegation comes just days after Cuomo has been accused of covering up nursing home deaths in New York. Assembly Member Ron Kim has accused the governor of threatening to “destroy” him after Kim criticized Cuomo over the nursing home debacle.
In her post, she stated that the governor ” has created a culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive” that it has been expected and condoned. She further accused that his “behavior toward women” meant that he liked you and “that you must be doing something right.”
He used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences.
Boylan stated that the alleged kiss took place after she had a one-on-one briefing about New York’s economic and infrastructure projects. She said that as she got up to leave his office, “he stepped in front of me and kissed me on the lips.”
Shocked by what he had just done, Boylan just left his office. As she passed another staffer’s desk she became concerned that someone “had seen the kiss.” She was mortified that people would begin to speculate that she got her “high-ranking position” because Cuomo had a “‘crush’ on me.”
The former staffer first accused the governor of New York of sexual harassment back in December 2020. However, on Feb. 24, 20201, she went into detail for the first time. Previously, Governor Cuomo denied her allegations. His office released a statement denying Boylan’s allegations several hours after she released her detailed statement.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Source:
Politico: Former aide charges Cuomo kissed, sexually harassed her; by Erin Durkin
Featured Image Courtesy of Diana Robinson’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Zack Seward’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
