Further calls for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after third woman makes claims against him

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Anna Ruch, 33, said she had met the governor for the first time at a wedding reception in September 2019
AFP via Getty Images
Matt Watts2 March 2021

Calls for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign have intensified after a third woman accused him of offensive behaviour.

Anna Ruch, 33, told The New York Times she had met the governor for the first time at a wedding reception in September 2019, where he put his hand on her bare back, which she removed, and then put his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her.

“I was so confused and shocked and embarrassed. I turned my head away and didn’t have words in that moment,” the 33-year-old said.

Mr Cuomo has also been accused of harassment by two women who worked for his administration, prompting the state’s independently elected attorney general to say she was moving ahead with an investigation.

He maintains he has never inappropriately touched or propositioned anyone, but acknowledged in a statement on Sunday that he had teased people about their personal lives in an attempt to be “playful” and funny.

“I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended. I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry about that,” he said.

One of the former aides accusing him of sexual harassment, Charlotte Bennett, rejected his attempted apology and said he had “refused to acknowledge or take responsibility for his predatory behaviour”.

“The pattern of sexual harassment and predatory behaviour by Governor Cuomo is unacceptable, and I believe the women coming forward,” New York City Councilman Antonio Reynoso tweeted in comments echoed elsewhere. “Governor Cuomo must resign.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio and other elected officials have said that while Mr Cuomo is under investigation, he should cede emergency powers he has held since the pandemic began nearly a year ago. Attorney General Letitia James received a letter Monday from Mr Cuomo’s office authorising her to take charge of the probe after a weekend of wrangling over who should investigate.

The letter enables James, also a Democrat, to deputise an outside law firm to conduct an inquiry with full subpoena power. The findings will be disclosed in a public report, the letter said.

A representative for Mr Cuomo has not immediately responded to request for comment on the allegations by Ruch.

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