New Yorkers Call For Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Impeachment, Accuser Lindsey Boylan Speaks Out At NYC Rally
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The first woman to accuse Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment spoke out publicly for the first time Saturday, joining protesters in New York City during a rally calling for his impeachment.
Lindsey Boylan was the first of eight women to make accusations against the governor, claiming he kissed her on the lips.
"Someone who abuses their power doesn't just do it to one woman or one community; they do it, on some level, to every person and every community," Boylan said Saturday.
In an extended interview with the New Yorker Magazine, she talks about a troubling encounter with the governor and his dog, Captain.
"When the dog jumped up and down near [her]," the magazine said, "she reached out to calm him and then backed away. Cuomo, she said, joked that if he were a dog he would try to 'mount' her as well."
"When the governor should have been focused on leading us out of this pandemic, he was instead focused on covering up the deaths of 15,000 New Yorkers and smearing me and my reputation," Boylan said.
As CBS2's Meg Baker reports, a total of eight women have now come forward, charging Cuomo with sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior.
The latest accuser is 33-year-old Alyssa McGrath, a current aide in Cuomo's adminsitration.
She recounted details to The New York Times, saying, "Mr. Cuomo would ogle her body, remark on her looks and make suggestive comments to her and another executive aide."
In one specific incident, McGrath explained, "I looked up to see what was going on. And he was blatantly looking down my shirt."
Chants were heard from Washington Square Park to City Hall on Saturday, rally cries for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to start the impeachment process.
"When woman after woman after woman after woman after woman after woman after woman has come out, and we have a governor who refuses to resign," State Sen. Jabari Brisport said. "The time has come to call for impeachment."
Others in support of the governor rallied outside his office in the city.
The governor did not respond to CBS2's request for comment Saturday but has maintained his innocence on all fronts, saying he never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate advances.
Cuomo refuses to resign despite calls from within his own party. It's a long road ahead before the governor would face a Senate trial.
Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating whether the governor's senior aides were a part of withholding information on the true count of nursing home deaths.
CBS2's Meg Baker contributed to this report.