2 top female Cuomo aides leave administration amid sexual harassment scandal
NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Two of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top female aides have left his administration as he faces sexual harassment allegations and mounting criticism over his handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes, according to reports.
Press secretary Caitlin Girouard and interim policy adviser Erin Hammond are no longer working for Cuomo, his administration confirmed to Bloomberg on Friday.
Girouard accepted another job offer in January, the Hill reported; Hammond, meanwhile, is leaving to "focus on her family," Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement provided to Bloomberg.
Three women have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment in recent weeks, including two former aides, Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett.
On Feb. 24, Girouard issued a statement calling Boylan's claims — that Cuomo kissed Boylan without her consent and suggested they play strip poker together — "quite simply false."
Bennett, meanwhile, spoke out about the harassment she allegedly endured working for Cuomo in an interview that aired on CBS News Thursday night.
Cuomo on Wednesday said he was "embarrassed" by the allegations. "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," he said.
He denied, however, touching anyone "inappropriately," while maintaining that he "never knew at the time that [he] was making anyone feel uncomfortable."
New York Attorney General Letitia James' office has launched an investigation into the allegations — a probe Cuomo has said he supports.
