A third woman has come forward with accusations of unwanted advances against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
According to The New York Times, 33-year-old Anna Ruch has claimed that Cuomo asked to kiss her at a wedding in 2019. In an interview Monday, she specified that Cuomo put his hand on her bare lower back.
A third woman has accused Governor Cuomo of unwanted touching and sexual attention, saying he placed his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her at her friend's wedding. A friend took a series of pictures of the incident as it occurred. https://t.co/bgvzBK4vK0 pic.twitter.com/hXvgTvSntQ
— Evan Hill (@evanhill) March 2, 2021
Ruch said she pulled away and was “so confused and shocked and embarrassed” by the incident. I turned my head away and didn’t have words in that moment,” she reportedly said.
A spokesperson for Cuomo reportedly referred the Times to a more general statement in which Cuomo apologized for things that “have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation.”
Over the past week, two of Cuomo’s former aides have accused him of sexual harassment — something he has denied.
The latest allegation comes as Attorney General Letitia James announced that the governor’s office sent a letter permitting her office to perform an independent investigation.
However, Democratic politicians within the state have already started calling for Cuomo’s resignation after other accusations surfaced. Charlotte Bennett, a 25-year-old former staffer, claimed Cuomo talked about his willingness to have relationships with women in their 20s.
Before Bennett’s allegations came out, Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan posted a blog accusing the governor of unwanted touching and kissing.