An attorney for Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said the governor himself will address the sexual harrassment allegation by a member of his State Police security "very, very soon."
The state trooper is one of the 11 women who has accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. A report released last week by investigators hired by Attorney General Letitia James deemed the allegations credible.
The trooper's allegation first surfaced publicly in the report, dating back to 2019. In one incident, Cuomo is said to have "placed his finger on the top of her neck and ran his finger down the center of her spine midway down her back." In another instance, Cuomo asked if he could kiss her. And, in September 2019, Cuomo is said to have put his hand on the trooper's "belly button, and he pushed his hand back to her right hip where she kept her gun."
The inclusion of the trooper's account appears to have caught the governor's legal team off guard. A specific rebuttal to the trooper was not included in Cuomo's videotaped message or in an 85-page statement released last Tuesday.
Rita Glavin, one of three lawyers representing the governor and his office, said Friday at a virtual news conference she would let Cuomo address the allegation. She added, however, Cuomo had recruited her for the security detail because he wanted to boost diversity and was impressed by her assertiveness -- contradicting claims by the governor's office to the Times Union that the governor had no role in her recruitment.
On Saturday, Glaving in an hour-long CNN interview again said Cuomo would respond himself to the trooper's allegation, but did not provide a specific date.
"The governor is going to address this very, very soon," she said.
Cuomo has broadly said he has done nothing wrong and never touched anyone inappropriately.
New York State Police Benevolent Association President Thomas Mungeer has called the allegations "outrageous" and "disgusting."