Some female supporters of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., are leaving messages on a hotline set up to received tips about sexual harassment allegations concerning the governor.
Members of a Facebook group called “Women for Governor Cuomo” have said they were flooding the hotline, the Wall Street Journal reported.
“Support for the governor is what brought us all together,” said Pamela Morley, a moderator for the Facebook group and treasurer of a smaller group of women raising money to support Cuomo.
The hotline was established by lawyers working for the state Assembly impeachment committee in connection with an investigation into several women’s claims of sexual harassment against the 63-year-old governor.
The Facebook group consists of around 1,100 members who are mostly women over the age of 55. One member even earned gratitude from Cuomo for her supportive efforts, according to the Journal.
Some of the group’s members have urged fellow Cuomo fans to get active by calling state officials or responding to the governor’s accusers on Twitter. They also encourage fans to attend rallies raising money for advertisements.
The Journal reported such pro-Cuomo ads included banners flown over New York beaches and a billboard on a highway in Albany.
The hotline, established by law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, has received more than 200 tips relating to Cuomo’s conduct.
At least 10 accusers have gone on record with sexual misconduct claims against the governor, including his former aide Lindsey Boylan, the governor’s first accuser.
Five current and former aides have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior in the workplace. One current aide accused Cuomo of groping her in the governor’s executive mansion last year.
Attorney General Letitia James is conducting an independent review of the allegations against Cuomo.
New York state Assemblyman Charles Lavine, who oversees the chamber’s impeachment investigation, declined to comment to the Journal when asked about the hotline messages that investigators have received. He also had not responded to the Washington Examiner’s inquiry.
Cuomo, eligible to seek a fourth term in office in 2022, has refused to resign amid calls to resign — even from within his own party — because he says he “did not do what has been alleged.”
Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., all have said Cuomo should step down.
Polls show a slight majority of New York voters say Cuomo shouldn’t resign, and that his biggest support is among Black voters and New Yorkers aged 55 and older.
“I’m not going to resign,” Cuomo said March 12.” Polling has shown pluralities of New Yorkers do not think Cuomo should resign, though his approval ratings have slid in recent months.
The governor also is under federal investigation for his handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa said the state’s true nursing home coronavirus death toll was hidden out of fear of political retribution from former President Donald Trump.
Source: Newmax
