By Dareh Gregorian - NBC News
An aide to the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, told The New York Times that Cuomo looked at her with his eyes and made inappropriate comments.
It is the latest sexual harassment charge against a governor facing bipartisan calls to resign.
Alyssa McGrath, 33, told the newspaper that Cuomo made suggestive comments about her appearance to her and another executive assistant.
The young woman related a situation in which she was called to her office to take a dictation.
[Joe Biden Says Governor Andrew Cuomo Should Resign If Investigations Confirm The Allegations Against Him]
"I hung my head waiting for him to start talking. And he didn't," she told The New York Times.
“So I looked up to see what was going on.
And he was blatantly looking at my cleavage
.
"
After Cuomo asked," What's on your necklace?
That was on my shirt. "
McGrath was also friends with another aide who reportedly claimed the governor had groped her.
The unidentified woman's complaint has been forwarded to the Albany Police Department.
McGrath said he discussed the alleged incident with the woman after The Albany Times Union reported on it last week.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, Wednesday, March 17, 2021.AP Photo / Seth Wenig
The co-worker told McGrath that Cuomo had asked her not to tell him about the incident because she knew the two were close.
"He specifically told her not to tell me anything," McGrath told The New York Times.
Cuomo has denied the accusation.
"I have never done anything like this," he
alleged in a statement to NBC News, Telemundo's sister network, last week.
A lawyer for Cuomo, Rita Glavin, told the newspaper that there was nothing wrong with Cuomo's actions, saying that “the governor has greeted men and women with hugs and a kiss on the cheek, forehead or hand.
Yes, he has posed for pictures with his arm around them.
Yes, use Italian phrases like 'ciao bella,' he explained.
[New York State Senate withdraws emergency powers from Governor Andrew Cuomo]
“None of this is remarkable, although it may be outdated.
He has made it clear that he has never made inappropriate gestures or touched anyone inappropriately, "he added.
A McGrath attorney, Mariann Wang, told NBC News:
"The governor's allegations are not credible. This was not just a friendly joke
,
" she
said.
More than half a dozen complaints of sexual harassment were filed against Cuomo last month.
The governor has denied touching anyone inappropriately, but acknowledged that he may have acted in a way that made someone feel uncomfortable, although he said it was intentional and he apologized.
Cuomo has repeatedly said that he will not resign, despite requests from the bulk of the New York Congressional delegation and dozens of state legislators.
