JUST IN: A THIRD Former Cuomo Aide Accuses Him of Sexually Harassing Her

Sarah RumpfMar 6th, 2021, 10:24 pm
 

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

A third former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) has come forward to accuse him of sexually harassing her while she worked for him, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Ana Liss was a policy and operations aide in the Cuomo administration from 2013 to 2015, and had a desk near his office in the Executive Chamber of the state capitol building in Albany. She is now 35 years old.

Liss told the Journal that several unsolicited incidents happened during her first year of employment with Cuomo, which she viewed at first as “harmless flirtations,” but changed her mind over time and now sees as “patronizing.”

“It’s not appropriate, really, in any setting,” she said.

Liss said that the governor had called her “sweetheart,” asked her if she had a boyfriend, put his hand on her lower back during a reception, and kissed her on the hand once as she stood up from her desk.

Jimmy Vielkind, one of the Journal reporters who contributed to the article, tweeted a photo that Liss had provided, showing her with Cuomo at that reception.

Liss’ accusations follow those made by two other former Cuomo aides, and have some similarities.

Lindsey Boylan said Cuomo told her he had a “crush” on her, suggested they play strip poker during a flight, gave her an uninvited kiss on the lips, as well as other inappropriate comments and actions.

Charlotte Bennett accused him of asking invasive questions about her personal life and sexual experience, and made comments she viewed as propositioning her, complaining about being “lonely” and asking her if she had ever been with an older man. Earlier this week, Bennett had a “very explosive interview” with CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell regarding her experiences with Cuomo.

A Cuomo spokesperson denied that the governor had acted inappropriately with Liss. Similar denials of inappropriate behavior were made by Cuomo’s office after Boylan and Bennett’s stories came to light. Cuomo himself made a statement earlier this month apologizing for his “unintentional” actions that “made people feel uncomfortable.”

“Longtime staffers told some women they should wear high heels when the governor was in Albany,” Vielkind tweeted, a policy which a Cuomo senior adviser denied was compulsory.

Read the article at The Wall Street Journal.

Tags:
Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.