Former Cuomo aide details sexual harassment allegations
A former aide to the office of Governor Andrew Cuomo has gone into specific details alleging sexual harassment.
In Mid-December, ex-aide to Governor Cuomo Lindsey Boylan first revealed her claims of how the alleged harassment lasted for “years”, but provided no further specifics to her accounts.
Authorities from the Governor’s Office quickly responded by clarifying that these claims had no truth to them.
On the other hand, Boylan has since written a very detailed account of her apparent experiences with the Governor.
She published them online Wednesday. “Let’s play strip poker,” a gesture Cuomo allegedly directed towards Boylan, according to what she detailed.
Boylan said this comment was made while flying back home from an event in Western New York in October, 2017. The Governor’s Press Secretary Caitlin Girouard has since responded to this specific allegation.
"As we said before, Ms. Boylan's claims of inappropriate behavior are quite simply false," she said. "We were on each of these October flights and this conversation did not happen."
From the Governor's Office: All flights from October 2017 can be found below - there was no flight where Lindsey was alone with the Governor, a single press aide, and a NYS Trooper. Below is a statement that can be attributed to John Maggiore, Howard Zemsky, Dani Lever and Abbey Fashouer Collins who were on all of these flights with her:
10/04/17 - Watertown Downtown Revitalization Initiative/Southern Tier Lithium Ion Battery Giga-Factory Announcement/Western New York Smart Growth Community Fund Announcement
Passengers:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
John Maggiore, Director of Policy
Dani Lever, Press Secretary
Lindsey Boylan, Chief of Staff, Empire State Development
Howard Zemsky, President and CEO, Empire State Development
10/06/17 - Cortland Downtown Revitalization Initiative/Rochester Train Station Event
Passengers:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
John Maggiore, Director of Policy
Lindsey Boylan, Chief of Staff, Empire State Development
Abbey Fashouer, First Deputy Press Secretary
Protective Services incl. Sr. Inv. V. Straface
10/12/17 - Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Groundbreaking/Staten Island Fentanyl Crisis Announcement
Passengers:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Dani Lever, Press Secretary
Lindsey Boylan, Chief of Staff, Empire State Development
Howard Zemsky, President and CEO, Empire State
10/17/17 - John R. Oishei Children's Hospital Dedication Ceremony/Syracuse Airport Redesign and Reconstruction Announcement/Norsk Titanium USA Announcement
Passengers:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
John Maggiore, Director of Policy
Dani Lever, Press Secretary
Howard Zemsky, President and CEO, Empire State Development
Lindsey Boylan, Chief of Staff, Empire State Development
Protective Services incl. Sr. Inv. J. Boyle
But that’s not the only gesture Boylan revealed in her latest essay.
The account describes an alleged incident where the Governor allegedly kissed her on the lips, touched her lower back, arms and legs.
“Governor Andrew Cuomo has created a culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected,” Boylan wrote.
“His inappropriate behavior toward women was an affirmation that he liked you, that you must be doing something right. He used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences.”
Several lawmakers have since responded, including North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who says the Governor should resign.
Photo courtesy via the Governor's Office.
