Cuomo Is Accused of Sexual Harassment by a 2nd Former Aide

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

ALBANY, N.Y. — A second former aide to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is accusing him of sexual harassment, saying that he asked her questions about her sex life, whether she was monogamous in her relationships and if she had ever had sex with older men.

The aide, Charlotte Bennett, who was an executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Cuomo administration until she left in November, told The New York Times that the governor had harassed her late last spring, during the height of the state’s fight against the coronavirus.

Ms. Bennett, 25, said the most unsettling episode occurred on June 5, when she was alone with Mr. Cuomo in his State Capitol office. In a series of interviews this week, she said the governor had asked her numerous questions about her personal life, including whether she thought age made a difference in romantic relationships, and had said that he was open to relationships with women in their 20s — comments she interpreted as clear overtures to a sexual relationship.

Mr. Cuomo said in a statement to The Times on Saturday that he believed he had been acting as a mentor and had “never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate.” He said he had requested an independent review of the matter and asked that New Yorkers await the findings “before making any judgments.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/nyregion/cuomo-sexual-harassment.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

[BlueStater]

1. Not looking good.

Any time the accuser count reaches more than one is a bad sign.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. It doesn't LOOK good, but it's not a decided matter.

Last edited Sun Feb 28, 2021, 04:01 PM - Edit history (1)

I had a law client, a certified registered nurse, who was accused by one of her charges in a long-term care facility. The "victim" was 73 and in a wheelchair. She claimed my client abused her 15 different ways (emotional, psychological, mentally, and physically) during a shift (8 hours). She claimed neglect of her basic needs. More damning was her son claimed he saw his mother's leg being crushed like a vise when she was being lifted from wheelchair to bed. Even more damning, the "victim's" roommate testified that she heard the situation from behind her curtain.

Doesn't look good, does it?

We had three hearings. I cross examined all witnesses, including the "victim".

We came up with 14 inconsistencies in the evidence/testimony for the "victim". She also confided to my client that she wished she had money to buy her son (the witness) a house and a new car. Investigation into the "victim's" financial status found she had a reverse mortgage on her home, in an amount higher than its value. Stuff like that. Now, all of a sudden it didn't LOOK good for the "victim."

As for the son and the roommate, I cross examined them and found decided inconsistencies in their stories.

I was left with one last question to be addressed: Why would an old woman in a wheelchair, who otherwise had a good working relationship with my client, make all this up? Because the evidence indicated that this particular woman only got really upset when she missed a medical appointment or test. She missed a DEXA Scan twice and blamed my client for having to make yet a third appointment.

So, long story short, yes, on its face, my client looked damnable. But I gleaned poignant facts to exonerate her.

I'm holding off judgment on Gov. Andrew Cuomo. I'd like to have these women testify under oath.

[WheelWalker]

5. An excellent example. Cross examination is an essential element in probing

for the truth. Depositions under oath reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each side and often bring about a settlement or sometimes even abandonment of a claim Plaintiff always goes first at trial and at the end of their case, even with cross-examination softening the evidence, it will often look damning for the defendant. For the sake of justice, we do let the defense have a go at it, LOL.

[Major Nikon]

25. It doesn't work that way

Unless she is bringing legal action against Cuomo or the state she is under no obligation to provide any sort of sworn statement. That doesn’t mean her story is without merit and doesn’t need to be investigated. She said she told Cuomo’s chief of staff about it at the time. I’d much rather see Jill DesRosiers give a sworn statement on the matter to see if she was indeed told, where the investigation went, or if there was one performed at all. I suspect it was all swept under the rug at the time and if it was that will be the most telling aspect out of this.

[Blasphemer]

6. Agreed but we'll see what comes next

If these allegations are true, it seems highly unlikely that this would have started just a few years ago. Part of the reason the Biden allegations never rang true is because he had a very long career without any whiff of this sort of issue.

[ADK]

3. Statement From Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D)

“The continued allegations are deeply disturbing and concerning. The behavior described has no place in the workplace. A truly independent investigation must begin immediately.”

https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/andrea-stewart-cousins/statement-senate-majority-leader-andrea-stewart-22

[wryter2000]

4. Uh-oh

I always wait to see if more victims come forward before I decide. This does not look good.

[olddad65]

7. Trump raped Katie Johnson when she was 13...

And that is fine with 70 million people

[Polybius]

16. I'd bet that 60 million of his voters never heard of her

The other 10 million don’t believe her.

[quakerboy]

34. I think you underestimate how many trump voters

approve of the actions he is accused of.

But yeah.. What malfeasance and evil republicans are willing to ignore, or embrace is not really relevant unless we are wanting to become more like them. I, for one, do not.

[Polybius]

37. Yeah, that's true

Many Trumpers simply don't care.

[dsc]

8. I honestly just don't get this behavior

how did this become so pervasive. I honestly can't imagine my ever asking a male subordinate questions such as that. I honestly wouldn't ask a male coworker stuff like that at least not one on one. Just what would anyone think in the subordinate's position? I hope this isn't true but it is looking worse and worse for him. NY hasn't had great luck with governors in terms of this.

[Elessar Zappa]

9. I doubt it's anymore pervasive.

In the past, women were often afraid of speaking out and often didn’t receive justice when they did.

[dsc]

10. I am not asking in a comparative sense

I mean in the absolute sense. I just don't see how anyone would think this behavior was ever appropriate, let alone thinking it was appropriate in the 2000's.

[Elessar Zappa]

11. Oh ok, I get your point.

Yeah, that type of behavior has always baffled me too.

[scarletwoman]

12. After the way Al Franken was railroaded, I'm not in any hurry to make a judgement about Cuomo.

I'll wait for an investigation.

[brooklynite]

13. You may not like the outcome, but Franken was not "railroaded"

[scarletwoman]

14. He most certainly was.

However, I have no interest in arguing with you - so please don't bother replying.

[caber09]

15. Wow he most certainly was railroaded...

I wish Gilly went after Trump half as hard as she went after Franken and railroaded him...like others are saying let the investigation play out..and just like the previous poster, please dont reply no interest in arguing either, not sure most here would agree with you too.

[brooklynite]

18. If I only posted comments that everyone agreed with, there'd be no point in posting them

If I only read comments that I agreed with, there’d be no point in reading them.

[Jedi Guy]

31. You gotta love that attitude, don't you?

"I don't want to hear anything I don't agree with or that challenges my beliefs." Because that's fantastic way to go through life...

[dsc]

17. I will say what I have continually said in cases like this

his constituents deserve a thorough investigation and if it shows he did this, he should go. I notice the Franken case has come up again in this thread, and as it usually is, the discussion is in terms of him having been railroaded. It isn't he who was railroaded, it is MN that was railroaded. To take one example, Franken would be the chair of a subcommittee on Native American affairs in the Senate, like he was when the Democrats had the majority from 2013 to 2015. From that perch he secured funding for a Native American school in MN. There will not be such funding again for a long time. MN lost all of his seniority, gone, in a puff of smoke.

[brooklynite]

19. Statement from Sen. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Link to tweet

[brooklynite]

20. Statement from Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang

Link to tweet

[brooklynite]

21. Statement from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie

Link to tweet

[caber09]

23. You can keep posting all of these statements, but we are all saying let the investigation play out

[brooklynite]

24. Are you under the impression that I'm opposed to that?

The statements of Democratic leaders are as newsworthy as the story itself.

[caber09]

26. Funny seemingly the only statement you haven't repeat posted is this one...by Cuomo himself..

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-york-cuomo-idUSKCN2AS028?taid=603b0bec7459310001cdef8b&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[brooklynite]

27. Funny how you didn't post it (until now) either

If you must know, it didn’t show up in my Twitter feed.

[caber09]

28. You seem to have an agenda, you are on top of all the other statements, even repeating...

at least one from this thread itself...again lets see how the investigation plays out and not railroad anyone like Franken was.

[Polybius]

29. I give him a week

This is not good.

[58Sunliner]

32. I'm going to wait to pass judgement.

[Miguelito Loveless]

33. Stick a fork in him

There will be more by next week.

[alphafemale]

35. So we are gong to Al Franken him?

Dear Dog.

People never learn.

[Cetacea]

36. Possibly a bad case of New York politics with some Roger STone thrown in for good measure

But like you, I am going to wait and see.