A woman who currently works in Gov Andrew Cuomo’s office as an executive assistant detailed her own experience of sexual harassment from the governor she alleges occurred in the workplace as the chorus of calls for his ouster grows louder.
Brittany Commisso shared her story with CBS This Morning on Monday, telling CBS’s Jericka Duncan that the governor “put his hand up my blouse” on one occasion without her consent.
"To me, this was a dream job, and it, unfortunately, turned into a nightmare,” she said.
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Ms Commisso is one of 11 women whose experiences were deemed credible by Attorney General Letitia James’s report, released last week, which stated that investigators found Mr Cuomo to have committed sexual harassment in the workplace. The governor has denied the accusations of physical contact, while admitting to saying things that made women uncomfortable.
He now faces a criminal complaint filed by Ms Commisso, as well as an impeachment inquiry launched by Democrats in the state legislature.
The New York governor is facing calls for his resignation from every member of the state’s congressional delegation, as well as a majority of state Democratic county party chairs. A top aide named in the report as leading the charge to discredit his numerous accusers resigned on Sunday.
The fallout has continued outside the governor’s mansion, as outside figures revealed to have strategized with the governor about how to handle the scandal are now facing their own questions. In particular CNN’s Chris Cuomo, the governor’s brother, has faced criticism over not addressing his role in helping his brother respond to the scandal, which was detailed in part by Ms James’s office.
The chair of the Time’s Up foundation, which was created to help women who experience sexual misconduct in the workplace, resigned on Monday after the report detailed her involvement in strategy talks regarding the scandal with Mr Cuomo; the head of the Human Rights Campaign is also now under internal investigation for his role in the talks.
Lawmakers in the state have given Mr Cuomo until 5:00 p.m. on Friday to submit evidence in his favor regarding the numerous allegations; they have pledged that impeachment proceedings will begin shortly and take place over the next few months.