New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to step down from his role following a new claim from a female aide that the New York governor sexually assaulted her.<\/p>\n
The staffer, who has not shared her name, said Cuomo reached under her blouse and groped her late last year while she was with him at the Executive Mansion, where he lives, the Albany Times Union reported Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The woman spoke out about the alleged assault after watching a March 3 news conference where Cuomo denied allegations from former aide Lindsey Boylan, who described being sexually harassed while working for the governor, including a 2018 incident in which she said he forcibly kissed her. Six women in total have now accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
De Blasio, who previously said Cuomo was \u201cletting himself off the hook\u201d for his alleged behavior, gave a more forceful statement on Thursday calling for his resignation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is deeply troubling. The specific allegation that the governor called an employee of his \u2015 someone who he had power over \u2015 called them to a private place and then sexually assaulted her is absolutely unacceptable,\u201d de Blasio said during a news conference. \u201cIt is disgusting to me, and he can no longer serve as governor. It\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cuomo has denied all allegations against him, including that he groped one of his staff members.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I said yesterday, I have never done anything like this,\u201d Cuomo said in a\u00a0statement to the Albany Times Union on Wednesday night. \u201cThe details of this report are gut-wrenching. I am not going to speak to the specifics of this or any other allegation given the ongoing review, but I am confident in the result of the attorney general\u2019s report.\u201d<\/p>\n
State Attorney General Letitia James is overseeing an investigation into the claims made against Cuomo.<\/p>\n