*By Vincent Cavaleri, Contributing Writer, Mill Creek City Council, Snohomish County Deputy Sheriff
The above statement is from the embattled governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, in response to calls for his resignation. If you needed another reason to loathe this man, read it again. A sixth accuser has now come forward in the latest episode of “How to abuse power 101”. Women from all walks of life that were unfortunate enough to enter the gravitational pull of this man, seem to be sewing the same tale of grotesque abuses that seem par for the course for the beleaguered governor.
One by one, the alleged victims paint a synonymous picture of continued sexual harassment and inappropriate touching in the workplace of the people’s business. These women are our wives, daughters, sisters, nieces, friends and neighbors that trusted the elected leader of New York, which he so promptly took for an opportunity to unleash his own brand of perversion on these young ladies. I can’t even imagine what they must have felt, day in and day out; having to show up to work in this environment.
In a time where equity in the workplace is finally making positive strides, New York state’s top leader was using this moment to create a pseudo “Epstein Island” in the governor’s mansion; designed solely for his abusive advances. Luring staffers, aides and volunteers to his office on false pretenses and then pouncing in his usual undignified and callous manner.
In response to the allegations, Cuomo’s most recent statement went like this: “As I said last week, this is very simple: I never touched anyone inappropriately”, “I never made any inappropriate advances…(and) no one ever told me at the time that I made them feel uncomfortable”. I wonder if any of this made it to his book, “American Crisis”.
State Officials in Albany have initiated a criminal investigation into several of the touching complaints; and in true pompous Cuomo fashion, he has doubled down and attempted to investigate himself by appointing a friend to oversee the investigation. Finally, with public pressure mounting, Cuomo has finally ceded investigatory power to the state’s attorney general Latisha James (D) (a long time Cuomo supporter), whose office will lead the investigation. Cuomo initially wanted one of his judicial appointees, Judge Janet DiFiore to oversee the attorney general’s investigation, but public pressure from all sides has finally nixed the idea.
Not to be outdone, Cuomo’s nursing home matters are just beginning. U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York has begun its own inquiry into the falsified numbers of deaths and obstruction of justice charges to federal authorities. In no way is this meant to be compared to the abuses listed above, but it does raise a very serious question.
If Andrew Cuomo is willing to lie to the federal government and dishonor all the slain seniors forced back into nursing homes; then how far will he go to conceal his predatory conduct with female staffers?
There’s a lot to unpack here. I have been writing about this abomination to leadership for almost a year. I see this guy coming a mile away, he is a classic narcissist and womanizer; and there is nothing he wouldn’t do to protect his bully self. We should have nothing but contempt for the way he treated people that he was supposed to protect. My hope is to see him taken away in handcuffs.
