Andrew Cuomo spoke out amid allegations of sexual harassment made by several women.
The embattled New York governor suffered a spectacular fall from grace as a result of the allegations.
Speaking at a press conference in Albany, NY on Wednesday, Cuomo apologized for his behavior toward the women and denied he ever touched anyone “inappropriately.
“I never touched anyone inappropriately. I never touched anyone inappropriately. I never knew at the time that I was making anyone feel uncomfortable. I never knew at the time I was making anyone feel uncomfortable,” he said.
Choking back tears, Cuomo, 63, said, “Kissing people is my customary way of greeting.”
Cuomo rejected calls to resign as governor, even as a third woman came forward with allegations of sexual harassment.
The woman, a former aide to ex-President Barack Obama, said Cuomo touched her inappropriately and kissed her at a party in 2019.
Unlike his other accusers, there are photos of Cuomo touching the woman and attempting to kiss her.
Cuomo commented about the allegations toward the end of his press conference covering Covid-19 numbers in the state.
“I want New Yorkers to hear from me directly on this. First, I fully support a woman’s right to come forward,” he said. “And I think it should be encouraged in every way. I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it, and frankly, I am embarrassed by it, and that’s not easy to say but that’s the truth.”
He continued, “I never ever meant to offend anyone or hurt anyone or cause anyone any pain. That is the last thing I would ever want to do.”
The allegations of sexual harassment come as the feds launched investigations into Cuomo’s handling of Covid-19 patients admitted to nursing homes in the state.
Thousands of elderly residents were infected and died.
