New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has apologised for his behaviour around women. Photo / AP
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has apologised for his behaviour around women. Photo / AP
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he intends to remain in office in the face of sexual harassment allegations that have weakened his support and led to calls for his resignation.
The Democratic governor, speaking sombrely in his first public appearance since three women accused him of inappropriate touching and offensive remarks, apologised and said that he "learned an important lesson" about his behaviour around women.
"I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable.
"It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologise for it."
Cuomo acknowledged "sensitivities have changed and behavior has changed" and that what he considers his "customary greeting" — an old-world approach that often involving kisses and hugs — is no longer acceptable.
He said he will "fully cooperate" with an investigation into the allegations being overseen by the state's independently elected attorney general. Attorney General Letitia James, also a Democrat, is in the process of selecting an outside law firm to conduct the probe and document its findings in a public report.
Asked about calls for him to step aside, the third-term governor said: "I wasn't elected by politicians, I was elected by the people of the state of New York. I'm not going to resign."
Cuomo addressed the allegations during a news conference that otherwise focused on the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic, the kind of briefings that made him a daily fixture on TV and a national star among Democrats.
Before that, Cuomo last spoke to reporters during a conference call on February 22. His last briefing on camera was February 19.
"I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it, and frankly, I am embarrassed by it. And that's not easy to say, but that's the truth," New York Gov. Cuomo says in response to recent allegations. https://t.co/IcYIgdtH6tpic.twitter.com/AYiv0Ojr9I
Two of the women accusing Cuomo worked in his administration. The other was a guest at a wedding that he officiated.
Former aide Charlotte Bennett, 25, said Cuomo quizzed her about her sex life and asked whether she would be open to a relationship with an older man. Bennett said she believed he was gauging her interest in an affair.
Another former aide, Lindsey Boylan, said Cuomo commented on her appearance inappropriately, kissed her without her consent at the end of a meeting, and once suggested they play strip poker while aboard his state-owned jet. Cuomo has denied Boylan's allegations.
Anna Ruch, told the New York Times that Cuomo put his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her just moments after they met at a September 2019 wedding in Manhattan.
People rally for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's resignation in front of his Manhattan office in New York. Photo / AP
The three accusers rejected the Governor's latest attempt at an apology.
"How can New Yorkers trust you @NYGovCuomo to lead our state if you "don't know" when you've been inappropriate with your own staff?" Boylan tweeted.
Bennett's lawyer, Debra Katz, said the Governor's news conference "was full of falsehoods and inaccurate information".
She said Cuomo's claim that he was unaware he had made women uncomfortable was disingenuous, considering that Bennett had reported his behaviour to her boss and one of Cuomo's lawyers.
"We are confident that they made him aware of her complaint and we fully expect that the Attorney General's investigation will demonstrate that Cuomo administration officials failed to act on Ms Bennett's serious allegations or to ensure that corrective measures were taken, in violation of their legal requirements," Katz said.
Cuomo said he inherited his gregarious way of greeting people from his father, the late former Governor Mario Cuomo, and that he intended it as a way of welcoming people and making them feel comfortable. He said he realises now, "it doesn't matter my intent, what it matters is if anybody was offended by it".
Demonstrators rally in front of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's Manhattan office in New York. Photo / AP
Speaking about the allegations, Cuomo initially said he was apologising to "people" who were uncomfortable with his conduct, but he didn't make clear as he continued which of the women he was referring to.
At one point, he said he was apologising to "the young woman who worked here who said that I made her feel uncomfortable in the workplace," though that description could apply to both Boylan and Bennett.
Asked what he was saying to New Yorkers, Cuomo said: "I'm embarrassed by what happened... I'm embarrassed that someone felt that way in my administration. I'm embarrassed and hurt and I apologise that somebody who interacted with me felt that way."
The Governor, who has touted a law requiring all workers in New York to receive sexual harassment training, said he felt at the time that his behaviour was innocuous but now acknowledges that sexual harassment centres on how the victim is impacted — not the offender's intent.
"I didn't know at the time I was making her feel uncomfortable. I never meant to, but that doesn't matter," Cuomo said. "If a person feels uncomfortable, if a person feels pain, if a person is offended, I feel very badly about that and I apologise for it. There's no but — it's, I'm sorry."
