New Cuomo accuser says gov made her feel ‘uncomfortable’ but ‘never touched her inappropriately’ as attorney general
ANIOTHER Andrew Cuomo accuser has claimed the governor made her “feel uncomfortable” when she was covering state politics in Albany. Valerie Bauman issued a lengthy Twitter statement on Thursday detailing the governor’s supposed behavior when she was reporting in New York‘s capital at the age of 25. Cuomo has denied all the recent allegations made […]
ANIOTHER Andrew Cuomo accuser has claimed the governor made her “feel uncomfortable” when she was covering state politics in Albany.
Valerie Bauman issued a lengthy Twitter statement on Thursday detailing the governor’s supposed behavior when she was reporting in New York‘s capital at the age of 25.
Cuomo has denied all the recent allegations made against him and The Sun contacted his office for comment on Bauman’s statements.
Bauman emphasized that Cuomo never actually “touched me or said anything that I felt I could report to my boss,” but that she felt ill at ease around him.
Speaking about one of these alleged instances, the journalist described a press conference when Cuomo made “unwavering eye contact” with her.
She said he was staring “to the point that I actually started blushing and looking around at the people surrounding me, whose facial expressions indicated ‘yes ma’am, he’s looking at you.'”
After the event, Bauman said she quickly got up and went out the back door to catch the then attorney general and ask him some questions.
She said Cuomo came “marching through the door” and that another reporter had noted how he “beelined” for her.
Bauman continued: “He took my hand, entered my personal space and looked into my eyes as he announced ‘Hello, I’m Andrew Cuomo.'”
The reporter said she then pulled out my digital recorder with her other hand, took a step back, and introduced herself, recalling how Cuomo seemed to be surprised that she was a journalist.
Bauman noted that another reporter loudly observed afterwards how nice he was towards her before sharing a photograph of her holding a dictaphone and speaking with Cuomo.
The Sun has contacted Cuomo’s office for comment.
She said that covering New York state politics out of Albany for the Associated Press “was a privilege and one of the most rewarding experiences of my career” but a period rife with “rampant sexism.”
Bauman said that she decided to speak out because a reporter had approached her to speak about her story.
She acknowleged that although Cuomo didn’t do anything she could report to her boss, the governer made her feel “uncomfortable as did a lot of men in Albany.”
Her bombshell statement comes after Cuomo’s first accuser Lindsay Boylan came forward alleging inappropriate behavior.
Boylan’s comments come as another of Cuomo’s accusers said she was asked to spend up to three hours in an interview conducted by independent investigators in an entirely different probe created by Attorney General Letitia James.
Boylan was the first of six different women to come forward who all allege sexual harassment against the governor.
On Wednesday, Boylan set off a series of tweets against the probe initiated by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who authorized the investigation by the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee.
“Do not trust Carl Heastie. His impeachment investigation is not designed to be transparent or to move fast, and there’s nothing Governor Cuomo wants more than time,” Boylan tweeted.
However, his office has denied her accusations.
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“As we said before, Ms. Boylan’s claims of inappropriate behavior are quite simply false,” Caitlin Girouard, the governor’s press secretary, said.
It’s since been alleged that Cuomo and his aides attempted to circulate a story discrediting Boylan and that the governor was “obsessed with his large hands.”
Joe Biden has refused to condemn Cuomo or tell him to step down and has said he wants to see the outcome of the attorney general’s investigation.
