Andrew Cuomo Refuses to Resign, Denies Sexually Harassing 11 Women

State   |   Mary Margaret Olohan   |   Aug 4, 2021   |   9:00AM   |   Albany, New York

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo refused to resign and denied Tuesday the findings of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.

An investigation released Tuesday by Attorney General Letitia James found that Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo “sexually harassed a number of State employees through unwelcome and unwanted touching, as well as by making numerous offensive and sexually suggestive comments” and that this conduct “was part of a pattern of behavior that extended to his interactions with others outside of State government.”

The governor spoke out Tuesday following the results of the investigation, saying his attorneys have compiled responses to the allegations.

Cuomo echoed his previous denials of anyone inappropriate touching, saying in a pre-recorded statement, “I want you to know directly from me, I never touched anyone inappropriately.”

“I am 63 years old,” he said. “I have lived my entire adult life in public you field. That is just not who I am. And that is not who I have ever been.

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“I do kiss people on the forehead,” the governor continued. “I do kiss people on the cheek. I do embrace people…men and women. I do on occasion say, ‘Ciao bella.’ On occasion, I do slip and say sweetheart or darling.”

The governor said that he now understands that there are “generational or cultural perspectives” that he did not understand and apologized if any of his well-intentioned actions made anyone uncomfortable.

Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

In May, the governor promised to fully cooperate with an investigation into the allegations, noting that though his lawyers told him not to discuss the matter until the review is over, he wanted New Yorkers to hear his thoughts directly from him.

“I fully support a woman’s right to come forward, and I think it should be encouraged in every way,” Cuomo said. “I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it.”

“I certainly never ever meant to offend anyone or hurt anyone or cause anyone any pain,” he said at the time, asking New Yorkers to “wait for the facts” from the attorney general’s investigation before forming an opinion. “That is the last thing I would ever want to do.”

LifeNews Note: Mary Margaret Olohan writes for Daily Caller. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience.