ALBANY, N.Y. 鈥� An aide who accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of groping her at his official residence told a newspaper in her first public interview it was a frightening physical encounter in which the Democrat slammed a door and said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care鈥� when she warned someone might see what he was doing.
鈥淚t was almost like I felt like a piece of garbage to him. I felt degraded,鈥� she said.
The interview published by the Times Union of Albany on Wednesday adds new details to the most serious accusation against Cuomo, a Democrat who is being investigated after a series of women accused him of sexual harassment and other inappropriate
The woman, who still works in the governor鈥檚 office, spoke to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity to protect her privacy, although her identity is known within the governor鈥檚 circle.
The governor鈥檚 lawyer, Rita Glavin, said in a statement that Cuomo 鈥渉as repeatedly made clear that he never made inappropriate advances or inappropriately touched anyone.鈥�
The woman told the Times Union she had been summoned to the mansion on a weekday in November to help Cuomo with a problem with his iPhone. When she reached his office on the mansion's second floor, she said, he rose from his desk and began groping her.
鈥淭hat wasn鈥檛 just a hug,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e went for it and I kind of like was, 鈥極h, the door is right there.鈥� ... I was mortified that a woman who works here is going to come in and see. ... I was terrified of that happening, because that鈥檚 not who I am and that鈥檚 not what I鈥檓 here for.鈥�
鈥淚 said to him, I said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e going to get us in trouble,'" she recalled. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what else to say. 鈥� It was pretty much like 鈥榃hat are you doing?鈥� That鈥檚 when he slammed the door (shut). He said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 care.鈥欌��
He then came toward her again.
鈥淗e came right back and he pulled me close and all I remember is seeing his hand, his big hand,鈥� the woman said.
The governor had reached under her blouse and grasped one of her breasts over her bra, the woman told the Times Union.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember actually saying the word 鈥楽top.鈥� I think I said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e crazy,'" she told the newspaper. 鈥淚 do remember saying that, and that鈥檚 when he ultimately stopped. ... Me saying 鈥榊ou鈥檙e crazy鈥� 鈥� that was definitely not something that he wants to hear. It definitely was a hit to his ego. 鈥� And then it was almost like instantly he was done. 鈥� He turned around and walked back to his desk. He didn鈥檛 say anything. I walked myself out to the front door and nothing was said."
A month later, the woman said, she was taking dictation for the governor at his Capitol office when he brought up what had happened at the mansion.
鈥淣ear the end of it, he looked up at me and he said, 鈥榊ou know, by the way, you know people talk in the office and you can never tell anyone about anything we talk about or, you know, anything, right?鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚 said, 鈥業 understand.鈥� He said, 鈥榃ell, you know, I could get in big trouble, you know that.鈥� I said, 鈥業 understand, governor.鈥� And he said, 鈥極K.鈥欌��
The woman said she interpreted the governor鈥檚 comments as a threat.
鈥淚 was a liability, and he knew that,鈥� she said.
Cuomo has brushed off widespread calls for his resignation and asked that people wait for the results of an investigation overseen by state Attorney General Letitia James, a fellow Democrat. The state Assembly is conducting a separate investigation into whether there are grounds to impeach the governor.
The new details from the interview set off a fresh round of calls for Cuomo's removal, with Democratic state Sen. Gustavo Rivera of New York City asking his fellow lawmakers on Twitter: 鈥渉ow much more lurid detail do you need to say clearly that @NYGovCuomo needs to resign or be impeached imminently?鈥�
Glavin said the attorney general鈥檚 review of this claim and others 鈥渕ust be thorough, fair and provide the truth.鈥�
The woman, the mother of a young child, told the Times Union she has lost significant weight, is emotionally fragile and is concerned about her job security.
The woman believes Cuomo had been grooming her for almost two years with a pattern of inappropriate
On New Year鈥檚 Eve 2019, she said, she was sent to the mansion to help the governor, and he suggested taking a selfie.
鈥淚 was holding up the phone. I was nervous. As the phone is up I feel him, like, not just sliding his hands, he鈥檚 like rubbing my butt cheek, but not saying anything," she said. "That was the first blatant move.鈥�
Several other women who worked for Cuomo have accused him of hitting on them, of subjecting them to inappropriate comments about their looks or questions about their dating lives.
Michael Hill And Marina Villeneuve, The Associated Press
