ALBANY – Gov. Andrew Cuomo has swiftly called for the resignation of powerful Albany lawmakers accused of sexually harassing assistants – including well-known harassers Vito Lopez, Micah Kellner and Dennis Gabryszak – but refuses to take his own advice as he has several allegations, critics argue.
The Democratic governor’s third term has faced three allegations of his own sexual harassment over the past week, and has been called by Democrats and Republicans alike.
“Shouldn’t the governor, the most powerful official in New York, be held at least by the same ethical standard as a member of the Assembly?” said John Kaehny, executive director of watchdog group Reinvent Albany.
Not long ago, Governor Cuomo demanded that two members of the Assembly ‘immediately deny’ the charges of sexual harassment or dismissal. Powerful words. Does the governor adhere to the same standard? “
In 2012, Cuomo demanded that Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez resign after two female assistants accused him of groping, kissing and verbally abusing them.
“Sexual harassment in the workplace cannot be tolerated in any form or form … these are serious allegations and if true, the governor believes he should resign,” said Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto at the time.
Cuomo even threatened to intervene in an investigation by the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics when it came to light that ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver – who is now in federal prison on unrelated corruption allegations – quietly approved a settlement between Lopez and aides.
Lopez, who died in 2015, resigned in 2013 and was fined hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Like [President Donald] Trump, Cuomo is trying to create two legal systems: one for everyone else and a special one for himself. His abuse of women shows that he is unfit to hold public office. He should either resign or be removed, ”said Rita Pasarell, co-founder of the Sexual Harassment Working Group and former Lopez staffer.
The group was formed by ex-Albany legislative staff who filed their own allegations of sexual harassment against their bosses.
In 2013, Cuomo also gave two Democratic MPs – Manhattan Democrat Kellner and Buffalo’s Gabryszak – the choice to either step down or “ immediately deny allegations of sexual harassment by employees, ” Politico said.
Cuomo also called on Silver to seriously consider expelling the pair if they refused to step down.
Gabryszak stepped down in 2014 after seven women filed lawsuits in state and federal courts, half of which were dismissed. A 2015 JCOPE report described a pattern of “sexually inappropriate behavior” between former police and female staffers. He was fined $ 125,000 in a settlement in 2019.
However, Kellner did not resign, but was instead sanctioned by the state assembly and stripped of his committee chairmen and banned from having interns. He did not apply for re-election in 2014.
The first charge against Cuomo came from former economic development executive Lindsey Boylan, now 36, who wrote in a Medium blog post on Feb. 24 that the governor asked her to play “strip poker” and also gave her an unwanted kiss.
Boylan had previously accused Cuomo of misconduct in December 2020 but did not provide details at the time.
Then a 25-year-old ex-staffer, Charlotte Bennett, told the New York Times over the weekend in June 2020 with the governor that she said gave her the impression that he “ wanted to sleep with me. ”
A third prosecutor, Anna Ruch, told the Times of a 2019 wedding where she met the governor and he made unwanted advances to her, including grabbing her face and asking to kiss her.
Ruch, now 33, was a staff member of the Joe Biden campaign in 2020 and has never worked for Cuomo.
Cuomo, meanwhile, issued a statement brushing aside the allegations, saying he was sorry for making someone uncomfortable and arguing that he is often “playful” and “jokes” at work.
He also previously denied the allegations of physically touching assistants, but those allegations are now subject to an independent investigation by Attorney General Letitia James, who is expected to appoint and replace a special prosecutor to investigate the claims.
A chorus of fellow Democrats such as Long Island Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice, Sens. Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx), Jessica Ramos (D-Queens), Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) and John Liu (D-Queens) have also called for Cuomo’s immediate resignation.
Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.