Cuomo Sex Charges: Former Aide Charlotte Bennett Accuses Governor of Sexual Harassment

The New York Governor has refuted the claims and said that an outside review will be conducted in the case.

Charlotte Bennett, former aide of the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, accused him of sexually harassing her. She is the second employee to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment. Responding to the same, Governor Cuomo said that he never made any advances towards her.

Bennett, 25, worked as a health policy adviser in the Democratic governor's administration until November 2020. Speaking to The New York Times, she said that Cuomo asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life, including whether she has had sex with older men.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Twitter/Andrew Cuomo

Recently, Lindsey Boylan, a former deputy secretary for economic development and special adviser to Cuomo, accused him of subjecting her to an unwanted kiss and inappropriate comments. Just like this time, Cuomo had refuted Boylan's claims too.

Cuomo Refutes Claims

Following Bennett's interview to the media, Cuomo released a statement on Saturday and said that she was a hardworking and valued member of our team during COVID. He also said that she had every right to speak out. Cuomo said that he wanted to be a mentor for Bennett.

"I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate. The last thing I would ever have wanted was to make her feel any of the things that are being reported," Cuomo's statement read.

Speaking to New York Times, Bennett had told that her interaction with Cuomo on June 5, 2020 disturbed her a lot. She was with Cuomo in his Albany office when Cuomo started asking her about her personal life and romantic relationships. He had even said that he was open to relationships with younger women who are in their 20s. But Bennett also said that Cuomo did not lay a hand on her during their conversation.

Cuomo had told her that he was looking for a relationship and preferred a girlfriend in the Albany area. He also had said that he was lonely following his break-up with TV personality and Chef Sandra Lee in 2019. "I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared" Bennett said.

Scared, she even had tried to change the subject and told that she was thinking about getting a tattoo. To this, Cuomo had responded by saying that she should get a tattoo on her buttocks. Within less than a week she had informed about the same to Cuomo's chief of staff, Jill DesRosiers and also submitted a statement with special counsel for Cuomo, Elizabeth Garvey. Within days, Bennettt was transferred to another job.

According to The New York Times, the information about Bennett's complaint and transfer was confirmed by Garvey. But Garvey also said that Bennett had not made any claims of physical contact or inappropriate sexual conduct by Cuomo.

Outside Review VS Independent Review

Cuomo also said that an outside review will be conducted to probe Bennett's allegations. Review would be conducted by a former federal judge, Barbara Jones, said Cuomo's special counsel, Garvey.

Cuomo requested people not to judge him until the findings of the review are out. But critics have expressed concerns over review by Jones. It is said that after retiring from the bench, Jones joined a New York-based law firm and worked with the governor's former secretary, Steve Cohen.

Many have called for an independent investigation. According to ABC7, New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul has also supported an independent probe and said, "Everyone deserves to have their voice heard and taken seriously. I support an independent review."

"As I previously stated, all allegations of harassment must be taken seriously. A truly independent investigation is warranted," said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

It can also be remembered that speaking to CNN, Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim had told recently that Cuomo had threatened to destroy his political career. Following this, other politicians too shared their stories about Cuomo bullying them.

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