NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A Republican congressman who is considering running against Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the 2022 gubernatorial race has been accused of sexual misconduct.
Nicolette Davis, a former insurance company lobbyist who is currently a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, told the Washington Post she and other lobbyists were at a pub in Minneapolis with Republican Rep. Tom Reed in 2017 when he started rubbing her back.
After Reed began rubbing her back, Davis said, he "briefly fumbled with her bra before unhooking it by pinching the clasp," then "moved his hand to her thigh, inching upward," the outlet reported.
"A drunk congressman is rubbing my back," Davis wrote in a text message she sent to a friend and coworker at the time, according to the outlet.
Someone sitting next to Reed ultimately pulled the congressman away and escorted him out of the pub after Davis asked him for help, she said. A person who was at the table with Davis and Reed that night corroborated her account of what happened, the outlet reported.
Reed has been mulling a run against Cuomo for governor of New York state in 2022. In a statement provided to the Post, he said: "This account of my actions is not accurate."
Davis "contacted The Post through a newsroom tip line on Feb. 11, more than a week" before Reed announced that he might challenge Cuomo, the outlet reported. Though she is a Democrat, Davis said she did not come forward with her allegations for political reasons.
"I need to always act in good conscience and set the right example for the soldiers I will lead, including younger females," she said. "I hope it will allow people who have endured similar experiences to feel confident enough to say something."
Cuomo himself has been accused of sexual harassment or misconduct by seven women, including several former aides.
The governor has repeatedly denied touching anyone "inappropriately," but has apologized for remarks he made in the past that made anyone feel "uncomfortable."
