New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been accused of sexual harassment by a former aide. According to the AP, 36-year-old Lindsey Boylan — who previously worked in the Cuomo administration from 2015 to 2018 — took to Twitter to accuse the governor of harassing her “about my looks.” She added that this went on “for years.”
“Yes, [Gov. Cuomo] sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched,” she wrote. “I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years.” She then went on to claim that she is not alone in her experience. “Not knowing what to expect what’s the most upsetting part aside from knowing that no one would do a damn thing even when they saw it. No one. And I know I am not the only woman,” she wrote.
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As for why she chose to come forward now, Boylan explained that after her mother went through sexual harassment and assault, she “promised myself I would never let those kinds of guys win. I would work hard my whole life to put myself in positions of power to change things. To end the violence & corruption. Give voice to the voiceless. I am not stopping. I refuse. I will never give up.”
It was then how I learned how hard it is for women. How hard this world can be for us when we are trying to be taken seriously and help our community. How easily jerks can destroy the lives of women.
— Lindsey Boylan (@LindseyBoylan) December 13, 2020
Boylan concluded her initial thread by writing, “I’m angry to be put in this situation at all. That because I am a woman, I can work hard my whole life to better myself and help others and yet still fall victim as countless women over generations have. Mostly silently. I hate that some men, like [Gov. Cuomo] abuse their power.”
In a separate tweet, Boylan — who is currently running for Manhattan Borough President — added, “To be clear: I have no interest in talking to journalists. I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops.” In response to the allegations, Cuomo’s press secretary, Caitlin Girouard, told PEOPLE, “There is simply no truth to these claims.”
