New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, speaking for the first time since allegations of sexual harassment by three women surfaced, said he was embarrassed, and that he was apologizing for his actions. He said he would not resign from office.
“I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it and frankly embarrassed by it and that’s not easy to say but that’s the truth.”
Cuomo says he has “learned an important lesson” from the allegations, and he asked New Yorkers to wait for the results of an investigation before judging him.
The New York Times spoke to Debra Katz, an attorney for Charlotte Bennett, one of the women who has accused Cuomo of asking “sexually charged questions in a meeting last June.”
“The governor’s press conference was full of falsehoods and inaccurate information, and New Yorkers deserve better,” said Debra S. Katz, a prominent harassment lawyer who is representing Ms. Bennett.
Ms. Katz added that she expected that the attorney general’s report would “demonstrate that Cuomo administration officials failed to act on Ms. Bennett’s serious allegations or to ensure that corrective measures were taken, in violation of their legal requirements.”