NY Gov. Cuomo Issues Public Apology Following Sexual Assault Allegations
On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York issued a public apology after three women recently came forward and accused him of sexual misconduct.
“I want New Yorkers to hear from me directly on this: First, I fully support a woman’s right to come forward and I think it should be encouraged in every way,” Cuomo said during a press briefing. “I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it and frankly, I am embarrassed by it.”
The Democratic governor, however, contended that he never “touched anyone inappropriately. I never meant to offend anyone or hurt anyone or cause anyone any pain,” he added.
Nevertheless, Cuomo complied with New York Attorney General Letita James’, who is conducting an investigation into the matter and will publicly release the findings upon completion.
According to ABC News, when a reporter asked Cuomo if he would resign, Cuomo said no.
“I wasn’t elected by politicians. I was elected by the people of New York. I’m not going to resign. They elected me,” Cuomo contended.
The women involved in the allegation are Anna Ruch, 33, Lindsey Boylan, 36, and Charlotte Bennett, 25, who came forward over the past week accusing Cuomo for making unwanted advances between December 2016 and June 2020.
One reporter from CBS News asked Cuomo about a photo where he put his hands on Ruch’s cheeks, to which Cuomo said there are “hundreds” of photos of him greeting people with the same gesture.
“You can find hundreds of pictures of me making the same gesture with hundreds of people, women, men, children, et cetera,” Cuomo said.
“You can go find hundreds of pictures of me kissing people, men, women. It is my usual and customary way of greeting … By the way, it was my father’s way of greeting people,” he said in reference to his late father, former Governor Mario Cuomo.
Cuomo has also come under fire for his mishandling of COVID-19 nursing home deaths in the state, in which a separate investigation has been made against him.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Jeenah Moon/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer. He is also the co-hosts of the For Your Soul podcast, which seeks to equip the church with biblical truth and sound doctrine Visit his blog Blessed Are The Forgiven.
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