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Do You Think Gov. Andrew Cuomo Resign?
- Yes .
- No.
- Undecided.
- Don't care.
Charlotte Bennett, a Northern Westchester native and the second woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, was on the TODAY show on Wednesday, Aug. 4 with NBC senior national correspondent Kate Snow, where she and a lawyer representing other victims spoke about the issue.
During her appearance, Bennett called for the governor’s impeachment as the Assembly continues its inquiry into Cuomo’s behavior and actions.
“We should impeach the governor because he clearly cannot accept responsibility for any of his behavior,” Bennett said.
“He started asking questions about my sex life … He said he was lonely. He said he was looking for a girlfriend. He was propositioning me for sex,” calling the response to her accusations “victim-blaming” and “insulting and painfully inaccurate.”
On Tuesday, Aug. 3, following the release of the report, Cuomo continued to deny any wrongdoing, even addressing Bennett directly during a pre-taped, near 20-minute statement.
Cuomo said that the comments he made to her were taken out of context as he sought to connect with her and help her handle her situation, citing a family member who suffered a similar incident.
“I thought I could help her work through a difficult time, and I did ask her questions I don’t normally ask people. I know too well the manifestations of sexual assault trauma and the damage it can do in the aftermath,” he said. “I thought I had learned enough and had enough personal experience to help her, but I was wrong.
“I’ve heard Charlotte and her lawyer and understand what they’re saying. But they’re reading into comments I made and drawing inferences in ways I never mean,” he added. “Simply put, they heard things I didn’t say.”
The governor added that he “want(s Bennett) to know I am truly and deeply sorry.”
“I brought my personal experience into the workplace, and I shouldn’t have done that. I was trying to help, and obviously, I didn’t,” Cuomo said. “I am even more sorry that I further complicated the situation. My goal was the exact opposite.”
Bennett said that Cuomo was incapable of “accepting responsibility for his behavior” and should be impeached if he is unwilling to respond, despite countless calls for it from elected officials including President Joe Biden.
“He is victim-blaming,” Bennett continued. “And he's also making a really insulting and painfully inaccurate insinuation that someone who is traumatized from a past experience cannot discern the difference between mentorship and sexual harassment.
“It's sad that we have to be in this situation, but I'm also just so proud of the 11 of us.”
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