Faced with growing political pressure over allegations of sexual harassment, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Sunday he would support the appointment of an independent special investigator to examine the claims against him. Cuomo also issued a series of statements Sunday, including one at night apologizing and saying he “never intended to offend anyone or cause any harm.”
Democrat Cuomo initially asked the state attorney general and chief justice of the New York State Court of Appeals to jointly appoint “an independent and qualified attorney” to “conduct a review.” exhaustive of the matter and issue a public report “.
After backtracking on her initial request for an investigation, Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement that her office “will hire a law firm, replace them as attorneys in our office and oversee a rigorous and independent research “.
James, another Cuomo ally, rejected the governor’s initial proposal, saying only she has the authority to investigate the allegations once the governor formally refers the matter to his office.
“While I have a deep respect for Chief Justice DiFiore, I am the duly elected Attorney General and my responsibility is to carry out this task, according to executive law,” James said, referring to the Chief Justice. “The governor must provide this referral so that an independent investigation with subpoena power can be conducted.”
Earlier Sunday, James said she was “ready” to oversee an investigation and “make the necessary appointments.”
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Cuomo’s support for an independent investigation is a reversal, after his special lawyer said Saturday night that a judge selected by the governor’s office would investigate the allegations, a deal that was widely condemned as inappropriate by elected officials. the whole state.
In a story published Saturday, a former aide told the New York Times that Cuomo had harassed him in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic. The woman, Charlotte Bennett, told the Times that Cuomo had asked her if she was open to a relationship with an older man, an encounter she interpreted as having sexual overtones. Bennett, 25, told the Times that when he reported the meeting to Cuomo’s chief of staff, she was moved to another job on the other side of the state capitol.
Cuomo responded Saturday night with a statement that he believed he was acting as a mentor and “never advanced toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I intend to act in any way that was inappropriate.”
In an updated statement Sunday evening, Cuomo said “I never intended to offend anyone or cause any harm. I spend most of my life at work and colleagues are often personal friends as well.”
“At work sometimes I think I’m playing and I make jokes that I think are fun,” Cuomo said. “From time to time, I provoke people to what I think is a good way to do it. I do it in public and in private. You’ve seen me do it in briefings hundreds of times. people about their personal lives, their relationships, about getting married or not getting married. I don’t mean any offense and I’m just trying to add a little lightness and joke to what is a very serious business. “
He claimed his actions could have been “misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent that someone felt that way, I really feel it.”
The complaints came the same week as another former aide, former secretary of economic development and special adviser to the governor Lindsey Boylan, accused her of subjecting her to an unwanted kiss and inappropriate comments. Cuomo has denied these allegations.
The outrage also comes as the governor fights another scandal, with federal authorities investigating how his administration treated nursing home patients in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent weeks, Cuomo and his administration have been forced to admit that the number of COVID-19 deaths for residents in nursing homes is nearly 15,000, almost double the number above. The figure of 15,000 includes patients in long-term care centers and those who died after being taken to a hospital.
While the Trump administration opened an investigation into Cuomo’s handling of residence data, criticism intensified after a top aide admitted he was concerned that the data would be “used against us.”
While some Republicans and Democrats have begun calling for Cuomo to step down amid allegations, others, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, have called for the removal of emergency government powers. which gave him the height of the pandemic.
Cuomo is currently in his third term as governor, which will end in 2022.