This column, from the weekly opinion piece MATTER OF FACT, first appeared on BrooklynReporter.com, the Home Reporter and Spectator dated March 5, 2021
Two weeks ago, in this column, I discussed the fact that Democrats have held members of their own party responsible for inexcusable actions, while Republicans routinely focus their condemnation on any conservative who dares question the bad actions of one of their own. From Eliot Spitzer to Anthony Weiner to Eric Schneiderman, there have been plenty examples here in New York, of Democrats forcing fellow Democrats to face harsh consequences for unacceptable behavior.
In that column two weeks ago, I opened with the investigation into how the Governor’s administration underreported COVID-related deaths of residents of adult care facilities and of how local Democrats have denounced what took place. Now, Gov. Cuomo is facing multiple accusations related to his personal behavior. These accusations are credible, believable, and demand a serious response.
Former aide Lyndsey Boylan, who first accused Cuomo of sexual harassment in December, shared a detailed story on February 24 of an unwanted 2018 encounter, writing that “he stepped in front of me and kissed me on the lips.” A few days later, a second former aide, Charlotte Bennett, told the New York Times that last year, Cuomo harassed her, asking her personal questions of a sexual nature. A few days after that, a third woman accused Cuomo of putting his hands on her face and giving her an unwanted kiss on the cheek at a wedding, this time providing a photo showing the Governor’s hands on her face as she appeared extremely uncomfortable.
Cuomo called the first accusation from Boylan a lie. Cuomo said that with respect to Bennett, he was only trying to act as a mentor and did not “ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate.” In a statement issued after the first two accusations, but before the third, Cuomo said he is sometimes “playful and make[s] jokes” at work and that he is sorry “things [he has] said have been misinterpreted as unwanted flirtation.”
Fellow Democrat, Sen. Gounardes said it best, when he responded to Cuomo’s statement, tweeting, “A forced unwanted kiss. In no universe is this a misunderstood “unwanted flirtation.”” Gounardes released a more detailed statement, stating that what Boylan and Bennett described “is not playful, mentorship or misinterpreted. It is harmful, it is harassment, and it has no place in any workplace.”
“…the pressing question now is whether, like Eliot Spitzer, Anthony Weiner, and Eric Schneiderman before him, Cuomo should resign.”
Another Democrat, Councilman Brannan, tweeted in response to the accusations made against Cuomo that “Zero tolerance for sexual harassment both physical and psychological means zero tolerance.” Statements from other democrats, including Mayor de Blasio, as well as current and former members of the city council and state legislature are too numerous to detail here, but they are universal in their support for Cuomo’s accusers, their condemnation of the behavior, and their calls for immediate action to address the matter.
At the least, a fully independent investigation conducted through Attorney General James’s office must proceed posthaste. However, the pressing question now is whether, like Eliot Spitzer, Anthony Weiner, and Eric Schneiderman before him, Cuomo should resign.
There have been demands from some advocates and elected officials that Cuomo step down now; that there is enough credible information available already to make that determination before the findings of an investigation. As with similar cases before, and based on how this one has been developing, it his highly likely that more accounts of harassment and unacceptable behavior will emerge. For all these reasons, Cuomo should resign.
Unfortunately, I do not have any confidence Cuomo will do what should be done. Assemblyman Ron Kim recently detailed how Cuomo berated him for not lying about the misrepresentation of COVID nursing home deaths, threatening to ruin his career. Former New York journalist, Lindsay Nielsen, shared her story of constant harassment directed at her by Cuomo that led to her quitting her profession.
Republicans, who ignored dozens of credible accusations of sexual misconduct and rape against President Trump, may be giddily jumping at the chance to slam Cuomo, but Democrats need to remain focused on what is right, not politics. It will take extraordinary circumstances for Cuomo to resign, which is why Democrats need to continue to support any of his accusers and be unrelenting in their calls for him to be held accountable.
