Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s to driving the snake out of Albany.
State Democratic leaders seem to be taking the low road when it comes to sexual harassment allegations against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie from The Bronx told felllow lawmakers he would want Cuomo’s accusers to be sworn in under oath and testify before any impeachment of Cuomo is considered before the Judiciary Committee.
In perhaps a prelude to the hearings Heastie said, “These days any one of us in this place could be accused.”
That comment, which was leaked from a Democratic conference call meeting last week, sounds like the leadership in Albany is looking to blame the victims since the allegations were “based on a newspaper article or other people’s assertions,” Heastie added.
In another effort to blame the victim The New York Times reported Tuesday that Cuomo and senior staffers were looking to disparage the first woman to charge the governor of improper behavior by circulating a letter questioning her motives.
In the letter Lindsey Boylan, the first of seven women to accuse Cuomo of inappropriate advances, was said to be coming forward for “political retribution,” according to a copy reviewed by the Times.
The letter also said Boylan was “supported by lawyers and financial backers of Donald Trump: an active opponent of the governor,” according to the Times report.
“Once again, a victim of sexual harassment who has the courage to tell her story is put in the position of not only having to relive the trauma of a toxic work environment but defend herself against the malicious leaking of supposed personnel files, character assassinations and a whisper campaign of retaliation,” Boylan’s lawyer, Jill Basinger, told the Times.
Let’s see if on Wednesday Cuomo will hold a televised press conference to answer questions. Chances are he will be in a sleepy little hamlet in western New York opening another vaccination site.
Slainte.