As Gov. Andrew Cuomo faces a third woman accusing him of sexual harassment, America’s first woman vice president Kamala Harris continues to be silent about the scandal.
A request to the White House for Harris’s comment on the issue was not returned.
On Monday, Anna Ruch went public with Cuomo’s aggressive behavior, accusing him of placing his hand on her lower back, placing his hands on her face, and asking if he could kiss her.
The uncomfortable event took place in September 2019 at a wedding reception.
“It’s the act of impunity that strikes me. I didn’t have a choice in that matter,” she said. “I didn’t have a choice in his physical dominance over me at that moment. And that’s what infuriates me.”
Two of Cuomo’s former aides have also accused the New York governor of sexual harassment.
But Harris continues to maintain silence about the scandal, despite her leadership on such issues during the presidential campaign.
Harris was among the first to voice support for women who accused Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign of unwanted and uncomfortable touching from the former vice president.
“I believe them and I respect them being able to tell their story and having the courage to do it,” Harris said in April 2019.
Harris also championed Christine Blasey Ford who accused Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault during his Senate confirmation hearing.
“I believe her,” Harris said about Ford’s accusations against Kavanaugh.
Afterward, Harris praised Ford for having “risked everything to send a warning.”
Both Biden and Harris have not spoken personally about the issue, even as the White House has supported investigations into the governor’s behavior.
“That story was incredibly uncomfortable to read as a woman,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday during the White House press briefing, adding that the women coming forward with a story about Cuomo “should be treated with respect and dignity and be able to tell their story and treated with respect.”
Psaki said Sunday that President Biden supported an investigation into Cuomo’s behavior.
“There should be an independent review of these allegations. They’re serious,” she said during an interview on CNN, adding, “[T]hat’s something we all support and the president supports.”
Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton signaled support for the women accusing Cuomo and the investigation.
“These stories are difficult to read, and the allegations brought forth raise serious questions that the women who have come forward and all New Yorkers deserve answers to,” she said in a statement on Monday.
Cuomo has apologized for his behavior, asserting he was trying to be “playful” while teasing members of his staff.
“I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation,” he said in a statement Sunday. “To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry about that.”