PoliticsNew York Gov.Andrew Cuomo lectured reporters at a tense press conference on Thursday.- He offered his definition of sexual harassment, once again denying all allegations against him.
- Cuomo tried to explain how he did nothing wrong despite having previously apologized.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had a tense exchange with reporters on Thursday, attempting to offer his own definition of sexual harassment while denying all allegations against him.
"Harassment is not making someone feel uncomfortable," the scandal-ridden governor said.
When asked by City & State reporter Rebecca Lewis about how he squares his initial apology with state law stating that intent is irrelevant in workplace harassment, Cuomo roped her into a hypothetical scenario.
"You can leave this press conference today and say, 'Oh, the governor harassed me,'" Cuomo said.
"You can say that," he continued. "I would say, 'I never said anything I believed was inappropriate. I never meant to make you feel that way.' You may hear it that way. You may interpret it that way, and I respect that. And I apologize to you, if I said something you think is offensive."
-Rebecca C. Lewis (@_rebeccaclewis) May 13, 2021
Cuomo was then asked if he would acknowledge that none of those comments on intent have any bearing on the law.
"Harassment is not making someone feel uncomfortable," he replied. "That is not harassment. If I just made you feel uncomfortable, that is not harassment. That is you feeling uncomfortable."
Cuomo's second accuser, 25-year-old former staffer Charlotte Bennett, responded on Twitter shortly after Cuomo's remarks.
"When @NYGovCuomo propositioned me for sex, he broke the law," she tweeted. "It is very simple: the issue is about his actions, it is not about my feelings. He broke the law (you know, the one he signed). Apologies don't fix that, and neither do denials."
-Charlotte Bennett (@_char_bennett_) May 13, 2021
Cuomo remains under investigation for alleged workplace sexual harassment by New York Attorney General Tish James.
Earlier in Thursday's press conference, he rolled back previous comments from his office calling into question the integrity of James' investigation.
-Bernadette Hogan (@bern_hogan) May 13, 2021
Cuomo's also still under the early stages of an impeachment probe, which some lawmakers have grown skeptical of as "window dressing" given the lack of updates on any progress so far, according to Spectrum News.