Report: Cuomo Accuser Claims Governor Groped Her At Executive Mansion
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An aide reportedly told fellow staffers she was groped by Gov. Andrew Cuomo inside his private residence in the executive mansion.
As CBS2's Dick Brennan reports, this is perhaps the most serious allegation of all the six women who have come forward with accusations about the governor's conduct.
The Albany Times Union says an unidentified Cuomo staff member had been called to the mansion under the apparent pretext of having her assist the governor with a minor technical issue involving his mobile phone.
The report says, "They were alone in Cuomo's private residence on the second floor of the mansion when he closed the door and allegedly reached under her blouse and began to fondle her."
The news reportedly came to light a week ago when other staffers noticed the woman crying while watching Cuomo at a press conference say, "I never touched anyone inappropriately."
In a statement, the governor said, "As I said yesterday, I have never done anything like this. The details of this report are gut-wrenching. I am not going to speak to the specifics of this or any other allegation given the ongoing review, but I am confident in the result of the Attorney General's report."
"I'm at a loss for words, you know. It's disgusting what I'm hearing," Assemblyman Ron Kim said.
Kim says it's time for the governor to go.
"If he doesn't have the self dignity in this moment to resign, the Legislature has now a moral duty to remove him from office while we investigate his actions," he said.
"The allegations have been the worst that we've heard thus far," Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez Rojas said.
They have led the assemblywoman to decide Wednesday night to call for impeachment.
"Do you think you have the votes for impeachment?" Brennan asked.
"I can't speak for the whole conference. I know there is mounting calls for impeachment. There is certainly mounting calls for resignation," Gonzalez Rojas said.
The governor now has to be concerned about any more women coming forward, which would only put more pressure on him.
"If he can tough it out for the next week or two, right up to the brink of the budget negotiations, it lends additional credence to waiting the reduced amount of time necessary to actually get the conclusions from the Attorney General's investigations," said David Birdsell, of Baruch College.
The woman in this latest case has yet to file a formal complaint.
A lawyer for one of Cuomo's other accusers, Charlotte Bennett, tweeted Wednesday that she too was called to the governor's mansion on the same premise -- to fix a cell phone.
The investigation by the special prosecutor is expected to last a few months.
