Democratic NY legislator says Cuomo apology over allegations is insufficient

A New York state assemblyman who says he faced threats and intimidation from the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday that the governor’s statement Sunday acknowledging “insensitive” behavior is insufficient given the two allegations of sexual harassment Cuomo also faces.

Assemblyman Ron Kim (D) told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin during an interview on Monday that Cuomo should step down right away, adding that his statement Sunday was “not an apology.”

“That was not an apology, Brooke…anyone that has taken a sexual harassment class knows there’s a big difference between intention and outcome. The outcome is that women were hurt, they felt abused and threatened by the governor, and that’s all that matters, and he should be issuing a genuine apology and thinking about resigning as soon as possible,” Kim said.

NY Assemblyman Ron Kim (D) says Gov. Andrew Cuomo should be “issuing a genuine apology” and “thinking about resigning as soon as possible” over sexual harassment allegations. pic.twitter.com/3Qnssp5w2w

— The Recount (@therecount) March 1, 2021

Cuomo on Sunday acknowledged that his “interactions may have been insensitive or too personal” with women in his workplace, while denying allegations made by Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett, two former aides. Bennett has accused Cuomo of making inappropriate sexual remarks in the workplace, while Boylan has alleged that the governor went further than that and kissed her without consent.

The governor, who is also staring down a growing scandal about the reporting of nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic, now faces pressure from a number of state officials, including some in his own party, to resign if the allegations are substantiated.

Cuomo said in his statement Sunday that he “never inappropriately touched anybody” or “propositioned anybody” in the workplace.

“I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but these are allegations that New Yorkers deserve answers to,” he said in his statement announcing that he would grant a referral to the state Attorney General, Letitia James (D), to investigate the matter independently.