Alyssa McGrath, a current aide in the office of Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is now the eighth woman to accuse him of sexual misconduct.
McGrath told The New York Times Cuomo repeatedly asked questions about her relationship status, made sexually suggestive comments, and looked down her shirt. She is the first current aide to the governor to publicly detail allegations of misconduct.
Breaking News: Gov. Andrew Cuomo is now accused of harassment by a current aide, who said he ogled her body, remarked on her looks and made suggestive comments. https://t.co/hqDJZIoX9L
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 19, 2021
In addition to describing her own experiences with the governor, McGrath corroborated the accusation of another aide who said Cuomo groped her breast without consent in his Executive Mansion. That aide’s identity has not been made public, but McGrath said the two discussed the incident after it took place. (RELATED: Accuser Lindsey Boylan Says Cuomo Joked He Would ‘Mount’ Her If He Were A Dog)
McGrath said she considered the governor’s conduct to be sexual harassment, but he did not make physical sexual contact with her at any point. She described being requested to work weekends at the Executive Mansion along with the unidentified coworker and said Cuomo tried to foster a competitive relationship between the two.
Cuomo took a picture with the unidentified aide on New Year’s Eve and sent it to McGrath, which she suspects was an attempt to make her jealous, according to the NYT. Another time, the governor allegedly referred to both women as “mingle mamas” for an entire day after asking them if they would be “mingling” with men on an upcoming vacation to Florida. (RELATED: Women’s Groups Fly Plane Banner Over New York State House: ‘Cuomo’s Got To Go!’)
McGrath said Cuomo once commented on how beautiful she was in Italian after she told him she could not speak the language. She also described a meeting with the governor in his office, alone, in which he was “blatantly looking down my shirt.” After she noticed, Cuomo asked her about her necklace, according to the NYT.
Other women have accused Cuomo of kissing them without consent, making inappropriate sexual comments and pitting female subordinates in competition with each other. Cuomo has denied all wrongdoing and has asked the public to await the results of two investigations, one by New York Attorney General Letitia James and the other by the State Assembly.
Meanwhile, numerous elected officials from New York have called on Cuomo to resign. An impeachment investigation is underway, and President Joe Biden said this week Cuomo should resign if the allegations are proven true.