Another woman has come forward to accuse New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of “unwanted, unwelcome physical contact,” according to Politico.
The woman — named Sherry Vill — said Cuomo “suddenly grabbed her face and kissed her” in 2017 outside of her home in the town of Greece, which is near Lake Ontario in New York. Cuomo had reportedly visited the location to review flood damage due to a storm, per Politico.
Vill said Cuomo made comments about the woman’s appearance. She said Cuomo made advances that were “highly sexual” and “highly aggressive” even though there were family members there, per Politico.
- “I felt shocked and did not know what happened,” she said, according to Politico.
Vill said Cuomo then invited her to an event in town. She was then sent pictures of his office, according to Politico.
- “The whole thing made me feel nervous,” Vill said.
Any response from Cuomo?
Rita Glavin, an outside attorney representing Cuomo, issued a statement in defense of the New York governor, NBC News reports.
- “During times of crisis, the governor has frequently sought to comfort New Yorkers with hugs and kisses. As I have said before, the governor has greeted both men and women with hugs, a kiss on the cheek, forehead or hand for the past forty years.”
Glavin said the pictures and invitations wasn’t anything to worry about, too.
- “It is common for staffers to contact constituents after events and invite them to a future event on a related topic,” Glavin said.
Other sexual harassment claims against Cuomo
Multiple other women have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment, including unwanted hugs and kisses, as I wrote for the Deseret News. That list includes:
- Anna Ruch, who told The New York Times that Cuomo asked to kiss her at a wedding in 2019.
- Lindsey Boylan, a former state economic development official, who said Cuomo harassed her from 2015 to 2018.
- Charlotte Bennett, a former Cuomo aide, who said Cuomo asked her “whether she was monogamous in her relationships and if she had ever had sex with older men.”
- Karen Hinton, a former aide, said Cuomo asked her to visit a “dimly lit” hotel room in 2000, per The Washington Post. Hinton said she visited the room. Cuomo tried to “embrace” her, she said. She then pulled away.
- Ana Liss, a former aide, said Cuomo asked her several times from 2013 to 2015 if she had a boyfriend or if she was in a relationship, according to The Wall Street Journal. Loss said Cuomo touched her lower back several times and called her “sweetheart.”