(WBEN) - Shortly after news that a sixth woman had accused Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct, the Governor on Tuesday again said he would not be resigning from office.
In 2018, Cuomo called on former state attorney general Eric Schneiderman to resign over sexual harassment allegations published in the New Yorker. He did the same after accusations were made against former state lawmakers Vito Lopez, Dennis Gabryszak, and Micah Kellner.
Why has Cuomo not applied the same standard to himself?
"There's obviously allegations, and then there's allegations," the Governor said when asked the question on Tuesday. "There's a spectrum of allegations."
What is the spectrum of allegations?
"Well, I can't explain what he means," said Lindy Korn, an attorney who specializes in cases of sexual misconduct in the workplace. "The investigation will certainly cover asking those questions. I'm not sure that's a helpful statement."
Korn said that the number of accusations is relevant not because six incidents are much worse than three, but because the building amount helps to establish a pattern of behavior that can be used to bring validity to accusations.
"It really goes to a pattern of conduct allegedly by the Governor, none of it seems to be appropriate," Korn said. "You have to let the investigation take place, but I will say that I think there will be more people coming out to speak because now they feel comfortable."
Several women who worked in Cuomo's administration have said they were sexually harassed or subjected to demeaning behavior by the governor. The latest accusation, reported by the Albany Times Union, is from a a female aide who claimed Cuomo touched her without consent late last year at the Governor's mansion.
