NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo called former staffers to get information about the governor's first accuser in an attempt to discredit her, according to a report.
The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday that at least six former employees got calls from current administration officials or former aides about Lindsey Boylan, who was the first woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment in December.
A former employee told the Journal that they were encouraged to give information to reporters that discredited Boylan, while some recipients said the calls felt like an attempt at intimidation.
Unnamed sources familiar with the matter told the Journal that the effort was coordinated by the secretary to the governor, Melissa DeRosa.
Among those who reportedly got a call was Ana Liss, 35, who accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior earlier this month. Liss said the call made her feel "intimidated" and "bewildered."
Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi, who reportedly made a call to Liss, said in a statement to the Journal: "After Ms. Boylan's tweets in December, she, and her lawyers and members of the press began reaching out to former members of the Chamber, many of whom never worked with her. Those former members of the Chamber called to let various staff people know and convey that they were upset by the outreach. As a result, we proactively reached out to some former colleagues to check in and make sure they had a heads up."
Azzopardi also denied that DeRosa coordinated the calls or that the callers intimidated anyone, telling the Journal: "There was no directed effort—this outreach happened organically when everyone's phone started to blow up."
Boylan responded to Azzopardi on Twitter on Thursday night: "I didn't have a lawyer. I just had the full force of state government against me @RichAzzopardi. You are a liar and a fraud."
Boylan, a 36-year-old former aide to the governor, said Cuomo made inappropriate comments about her appearance, kissed her without her consent at the end of a meeting and once suggested they play strip poker while aboard his state-owned jet.
Boylan, who is running for Manhattan borough president, first accused Cuomo in a tweet last December and elaborated on the allegations in a Medium post last month.
Cuomo denied ever touching anyone inappropriately but has apologized for behaving in a way that he now realized had upset women he worked with.
The governor's grip on power appeared increasingly threatened on Friday as a majority of state legislators called for his resignation and police said they stood ready to investigate a groping allegation.
The Times Union of Albany reported Wednesday that an unidentified aide had accused Cuomo of reaching under her shirt and fondling her. A lawyer for the governor said she reported the allegation to police after the woman involved declined to do so herself.
"I have never done anything like this," Cuomo said through a spokesperson Wednesday. "The details of this report are gut-wrenching."
At least 121 members of the state Assembly and Senate have said publicly they believe Cuomo can no longer govern and should quit office now, according to a tally by The Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
