During a recent press conference, Democratic New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called for an investigation of the sexual harassment allegations brought against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo by former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan. He emphasized that the probe must be “independent,” adding that it cannot be “compromised” or “dominated” by the governor’s office. De Blasio and Cuomo may deserve each other in the world of politics, but New York doesn’t.
“These allegations are really disturbing. Let’s be clear about that — they’re really disturbing. We have to, as New Yorkers, we got to take this seriously. When a woman comes forward with this kind of very specific allegations, they have to be taken serious. We need a full and independent investigation. This is just unacceptable. This kind of behavior, if true, is unacceptable, in any public servant, in anybody,” de Blasio said.
In a series of tweets last December, Boylan accused Gov. Cuomo of sexual harassment but did not detail her allegations. She later posted an essay on the Medium website that claimed he made inappropriate remarks while working in his office and suggested that they play strip poker during a flight in 2017.
She wrote that Cuomo would go out of his way to touch her lower back, arms and legs, and had staffers keep tabs on her whereabouts. He tried to kiss her in his office without her consent, ultimately leading to her resignation in 2018. The essay includes government emails and text messages of the harassment.
“Telling my truth isn’t about seeking revenge. I was proud to work in the Cuomo Administration. For so long I had looked up to the Governor. But his abusive behavior needs to stop. I am speaking up because I have the privilege to do so when many others do not. No one should have to be defined or destroyed by this kind of sexual harassment. Nor should they be revictimized if they decide to speak their own truth,” Boylan wrote.
Cuomo’s press secretary Caitlin Girouard told reporters that Boylan’s claims of inappropriate behavior were “quite simply false” but would not elaborate about comments on an investigation.
De Blasio also stressed that they needed to look into the New York nursing home residents who died of COVID-19 under Gov. Cuomo’s nursing home directive. He delayed releasing statistics of how many residents died of COVID-19 and only reported those who died after being transported to hospitals.
“We need a full investigation, independent investigation of what happened with the nursing homes, what happened with the thousands of people who died. Their families have not gotten answers,” de Blasio said.
It’s interesting how Democrats made Kavanaugh “automatically guilty” while Cuomo will be under “investigation.” Do you see the double standard?
