Cuomo said he understands that the allegations against him have been outraged, but they are not true. “That’s not to say I haven’t treated women unfairly. I gave a woman a hug and I put my arm around someone: that wasn’t right. I called women sweetheart or sweetheart. I wanted to be charming with that, but those names were dated and offensive.”
Cuomo also responded at a time in a press conference last year where he was being tested for the coronavirus. There he told the female doctor who administered the test that the medical clothing she was wearing did look good on her. “I tried to be funny, but some humor can be off-putting to people. I take full responsibility for this. I thought I hadn’t broken any boundaries, but I didn’t realize how far back those boundaries were. And I should have known that.” .”
Yesterday, one of the 11 women who accuse Cuomo of sexual misconduct made themselves known in interviews with the TV station. CBS News and the newspaper Times Union. Former employee Brittany Commisso said the governor also kissed her on the mouth after a hug and kiss on the cheek. She also said she was groped by Cuomo at a meeting at his official residence. “What he did to me is a crime. He broke the law.”
“Unfair and untrue”
In his speech, the governor did not address Commisso’s allegations. He did say he wanted to thank the women who had come forward with “serious complaints”. “You have taught us that personal boundaries must be respected,” he said.
Cuomo then criticized: “It’s no longer about truth but about doing politics. The political system is driven by extremes, with Twitter as the public square for debate. This controversy is politically motivated, unfair and untrue. But we must take our time. and spending money on things like the covid crisis. That’s a matter of life and death. I can’t cause us to waste energy on something that distracts attention.”
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