Sixth woman accuses Cuomo of sexual harassment as probe begins

The lawyer for Charlotte Bennett, one of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s accusers, said Wednesday that the accugations from a sixth woman claiming sexual harassment by the governor are “eerily similar” to Ms. Bennett’s experience of being lured by Mr. Cuomo to an isolated setting under bogus pretenses.

Attorney Debra Katz revealed new details of the accusations by Ms. Bennett, a former Cuomo aide who said the Democratic governor made sexual advances on her last summer. She said Ms. Bennett was “summoned to the Capitol on a Saturday, left isolated with the governor and asked to help him with minor technical issues with his phone.”

The sixth female accuser, who has not been identified, claims that she was summoned to the governor’s mansion late last year to do unspecified work but instead was touched inappropriately by Mr. Cuomo. That case was reported on Tuesday by the Albany Times Union, which said the incident has been referred to special investigators appointed by state Attorney General Letitia James.

Ms. Katz also said Ms. Bennett had reported the governor’s “sexual proposition” to his most senior aides, including his special counsel, Judith Mogul, soon after it occurred.

“In response, those aides failed to report Charlotte’s claims to the governor’s Office of Employee Relations, as they were legally required,” Ms. Katz said in a statement.

“The governor’s sexual harassment, which Charlotte Bennett reported, was buried by his aides and never properly investigated.”

She said the “enablement” by Mr. Cuomo’s aides left another young woman “in harm’s way.”
“Had the governor’s staff taken Charlotte Bennett’s allegations and their legal obligations seriously, perhaps this [sixth] woman would have been spared of this sexual assault,” Ms. Katz said. “That the governor does not deny touching people, but he insists he never did it inappropriately, shows he is committed to gaslighting victims and perpetuating these lies. This is exactly how abusers operate.”

Mr. Cuomo’s office learned of the accusation from the sixth woman last weekend, the Times Union reported. The complaint was forwarded to the office of Ms. James, who has appointed two prominent lawyers to handle the probe.

Beth Garvey, acting counselor to the governor, said in a statement, “All allegations that we learn of directly or indirectly are going promptly to the investigators appointed by the attorney general.”

The governor already was facing harassment accusations from five women, including former aides Ms. Bennett and Lindsey Boylan. They claim that Mr. Cuomo made inappropriate sexual remarks and unwanted advances, including kissing Ms. Boylan without her consent.

Dozens of elected officials of both parties in New York have called on the governor to resign. But Mr. Cuomo has refused to step down, and has asked the public to await the findings of the attorney general’s investigation.

Mr. Cuomo had no public events on Wednesday, but announced that New York City restaurants will expand indoor dining capacity to 50% next week, trying to reinforce a leadership role in the pandemic even as the walls of multiple scandals close in on him.

The Democrat said New York City restaurants can increase from 35% capacity on March 19 because of a decline in infection and hospitalization rates.

“If we keep the infections down and vaccinations up, we will continue to stay ahead in the foot race against this invisible enemy and reach the light at the end of the tunnel together,” Mr. Cuomo said.

In Washington, Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee requested an update from Ms. James on Wednesday about her office’s probe in the undercounting of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes.

The letter was signed by Reps. Kevin Brady of Texas, Devin Nunes of California and Tom Reed of New York, who questioned whether Ms. James giving the same level of attention to the nursing-home probe as she is to the sexual-harassment investigation.

“Although recent reports indicate that an ‘outside lawyer hired by the state has begun interviewing officials about the handling of nursing homes during the pandemic,’ it is unclear if those efforts are under your direction and include the authority to issue subpoenas, if necessary, in order to get to the truth,” the lawmakers wrote. They asked her to reply within two weeks.

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, Louisiana Republican, said congressional Democrats are ignoring the nursing-home scandal in New York state.

“Last week Republicans once again asked Democrats to hold a hearing on Cuomo’s nursing home deaths scandal. We still have no answer,” Mr. Scalise tweeted. “At this point — if Democrats refuse to even investigate, they are complicit in Cuomo’s cover-up.”