Letter to Editor | ‘Accusations against Gov Cuomo do not rise to the level of sexual harassment’

Dear Editor,

I am writing to express my dismay at the handling of the allegations leveled against Governor Andrew Cuomo. I don’t believe in my lifetime I recall anyone in politics crucified to the extent he has been in the media and the court of public opinion. The governor has been condemned without due process, and this is incredibly unfair and contrary to the assumption of one being innocent before proven otherwise.

Governor Cuomo has been declared guilty even before the investigation started. I expected this from right-wing media groups, but I am very disappointed news outlets like CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS have been just as vicious and relentless as Fox News. Matter of fact, the aforementioned outlets, did not display the same veracity in their coverage pertaining to Donald Trump’s sexual harassment and rape accusations.

These accusations mounted against Andrew Cuomo in my opinion do not rise to the level of sexual harassment. I personally have been sexually harassed and assaulted, and when women present lame accusations such as these towards men, it diminishes the credibility of true legitimate complaints. It is getting to the point  that a man will no longer be able to be in a room with a woman alone, even at work.

By no means do I take this issue lightly. However, for instance, the idea of one requiring therapy for years after being kissed on the hand, or a woman comes out and complains about a hug 21 years ago, are outlandish and ludicrous. Now today, a new accuser whose claims are just as preposterous as the previous. She produces a photo of Cuomo kissing her cheeks which she claims as highly sexual while her son who took the photo.  Cuomo visited her after her home was flooded, and the kiss does not look sexual by any means.  These accusations are just not right. 

All of this of course started with the cajolement of the self-serving Lindsey Boylan, who aims to ram the knife in as deep as she can into Cuomo’s back. With Boylan, it is all about politics and revenge, and trying to win the election for Manhattan Borough Chief at the expense of Andrew Cuomo’s life. People need to keep in my mind that members of Boylan’s press team quit after her first initial accusation, and that should tell us something.

During her time working for the state, Boylan herself accrued many harassment charges. Three African-American women accused her of harassment, and belittling and demeaning them in the workplace. A good number of other employees lodge complaints against her mistreating them; even from those outside her department. One employee had to take a medical leave of absence from the stress of working under her. There was also an issue of financial impropriety with $8,000.00 in travel related expenses.

The Cuomo administration superiors called Boylan in and confronted her about the aforementioned issues. She became indignant and submitted her resignation, although they did not ask for her to leave at that time. Three days later, however; she called and asked for her job back, but they informed her it was probably for the best she did not return.

Asked for her job back? This from a woman who claimed she was so badly harassed by Andrew Cuomo, that it made her into a mental vegetable. This from a woman who claimed she dreaded going to work so badly, that she felt nauseous every day. This from a woman who had the financial means to quit her job (after all she did at first), and pursue other employment. Why would any sane individual request their job back under these conditions? The answer is simple; a sane person and someone who truly felt harassed would not.

There are a number of variables at play regarding the lynch mob mentality towards Andrew Cuomo. The trajectory of the Me Too Movement has reversed the meter so far back, to it is now no longer fair towards men. Accusations like Cuomo putting his hand on someone’s back, hugging, or kissing a hand which caused a woman to seek psychotherapy for years is ludicrous. Everyone is now so afraid if they do not chide in and agree with the accusers, they will appear as not being supportive of women and sexual harassment.

The media falls into this category as well. Media outlets are endeavoring to boost plummeting ratings resulting from Donald Trump’s departure from the White House. The timing and misfortune of the Andrew Cuomo scandals provided the dirt and sensationalism needed desperately to boost network ratings. CNN’s website had a virtual sticky note everyday for weeks regarding the allegations of Andrew Cuomo. 

The Democratic legislators are afraid they will be seen as being unfair towards women as well, but their motive is different. They are concerned about being reelected again, and they’re afraid Cuomo is going to drag them down. They are not bothered about due process – they have already tried and convicted Cuomo and are eager to commence execution. They see him as an albatross, and are willing to deny him due process just to get him out the way. I think they will be surprise that most people in New York want him to stay in office.

The Republicans and Fox News have made a heyday out of this. Nothing pleases the Republican Party more than accusations made against a popular democrat.  This is not about justice for women – they could care less.  We don’t see them going after Tom Reed with the same fervor, now do we? This for them is about getting rid of someone who had nearly been impossible to beat.

The self-serving Lindsey Boylan does not place women’s rights above all either. Her motive behind executing the allegations emanates from her desire to capture the women’s vote. Once she saw she was in the bottom of the polls, she decided in desperation her plan to garner votes. That plan was to come out against Andrew Cuomo a little over 2 years since her departure from leaving the administration. Just eight months ago she was touting working for the Cuomo administration on a video ad for her campaign. 
Boylan is not fit to be in any leadership position. If you looked at the way she told the public about the allegations, as well as her reaction to those with counter positions to her own, it becomes evident she is a very immature individual. I believe Boylan is seeking revenge over the fact the Cuomo administration did not accept her request to come back to work. She reacts emotionally to things, and a person in a leadership position should not consistently become unglued. With her crass mouth and behavior, she has well demonstrated she has the capacity to be vindictive. She has also made jokes about some of the allegations on social media.

It is heartbreaking to see a great leader like Andrew Cuomo be denied due to process for the allegations brought against him. It brings a whole new meaning to the words “No good deed goes unpunished.” Although Boylan initiated this, a large part can be attributed to the media who became judge, jury, and executioner of the governor – even before the investigation started. Another part of all of this involves a misconception of the Italian culture, which is actually rooted in prejudice. At the end of the day, the vicious, lack of due process for Governor Cuomo is.

Jamie Wilcox

About The Author

Reporters

See author's posts