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A former aide to New York Gov.Andrew Cuomoaccused him of sexual harassment in a series of tweets on Sunday, which he office denies.
“Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years,” Boylanalleged in a tweet.
“Not knowing what to expect what’s [sic] the most upsetting part aside from knowing that no one would do a damn thing even when they saw it. No one. And I know I am not the only woman,” continued Boylan, who served as executive vice president of Empire State Development and then as a special adviser to Cuomo for economic development.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Cuomo’s press secretary, Caitlin Girouard, said: “There is simply no truth to these claims.”
Cuomo himself echoed that on Monday, telling reporters: “I fought for and I believe a woman has the right to come forward and express her opinion and express issues and concerns that she has. But it’s just not true.”
Lindsey Boylan (left); New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (right).Rob Latour/Shutterstock; BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images
Boylan did not go into detail about the alleged harassment,later tweetingthat she has “no interest in talking to journalists” about the matter.
“I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops,” she said. “My worst fear is that this continues. And as @FKAtwigs said yesterday, my second worst fear is having to talk about and relive this.” (The singer recentlylaunched a lawsuit against ex-boyfriend Shia LaBeouf,alleging he physically and emotionally abused her.)
The New York Timesreported that Boylan — who is currently running a campaign for Manhattan borough president after she failed to unseat Rep. Jerrold Nadler for New York’s 10th Congressional District in November — previously described her experience working for Cuomo as"beyond toxic."
“If people weren’t deathly afraid of him, they’d be saying the same thing and you’d already know the stories,” she claimed in aseries of tweets earlier this month.“Seriously, the messages and texts I receive when I speak the truth about this…it’s a whole book of people who have been harmed.”
Boylan also alleged that “working for him is endlessly dispiriting,” and that she is still “unwrapping it years later in therapy.” She later said she “tried to quit three times” before finally leaving her position.
The AP obtained personnel memos written in 2018 that indicate Boylan resigned from her position in the Cuomo administration after she was confronted about complaints from staff about her own behavior.
The documents also allege Boylan resigned after meeting with Cuomo’s top lawyer, Alphonso David, about the issue.
“The people of New York deserve a Governor who lives up to his own public statements on sexual harassment,” Stefanik said.
source: people.com
