US: Former development aide accuses Cuomo of sexual harassment

A former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who is now running for Manhattan borough president accused him of sexual harassment in a series of tweets Sunday, saying he made inappropriate comments about her appearance.

Lindsey Boylan tweeted that the Democratic governor “sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched.”

“I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years," she continued.

Boylan, 36, worked for the Cuomo administration from March 2015 to October 2018, serving first as executive vice president of Empire State Development, and then as a special adviser to Cuomo for economic development.

She did not provide details of the alleged harassment and didn't immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press. Boylan later tweeted, “To be clear: I have no interest in talking to journalists. I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops.”

Messages seeking comment were left with spokespeople for Cuomo.

Boylan’s sexual harassment allegation against Cuomo comes after The Associated Press and others reported that the 63-year-old governor is under consideration for the job of attorney general in the administration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Earlier this month, Boylan had also tweeted about her work experience in the Cuomo administration, listing it as the worst job she ever had.

“I tried to quit three times before it stuck. I’ve worked hard my whole life. Hustled - fake it till you make it style,” she wrote. “That environment is beyond toxic. I’m still unwrapping it years later in therapy!”

Boylan ran against U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler in the 2020 Democratic primary, garnering 22% of the vote in a campaign in which she argued that the incumbent wasn’t progressive enough. She announced last month that she is running in the 2021 Democratic primary to succeed Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, who is term-limited.