ANDREW Cuomo played a bizarre montage of him kissing men and hugging President Bill Clinton as he denied sexually harassing 11 women including several aides.
The New York Governor, 63, played the images over comments about how it was his manner to touch people on the face in a rebuttal to a damning report on his behavior released just hours before.
The clip first showed him with his father, former governor Mario Cuomo, and mother, Matilda, before moving on to pictures of him with the public.
It showed Cuomo holding both men and women and children by the face.
“The New York Times published a front-page picture of me touching a woman’s face at a wedding and then kissing her on the cheek,” he said as the picture in question with accuser Anna Ruch was shown.
“That is not front-page news.
“I’ve been making the same gesture in public all my life.
“I actually learned him from my mother and my father,” he added as pictures of his parents embracing him in public were played.
“I do that to convey warmth, nothing more.
“In fact, there are hundreds if not thousands of photos of me using the exact same gesture.
“I do it with everyone – black and white, young and old, straight and LGBTQ, powerful people, friends, strangers, people who I meet on the street,” Cuomo added, as it showed the pictures of him with the public and with celebrities and other lawmakers.
It included images of Cuomo embracing former President Bill Clinton and actor Robert de Niro.
“After the event, the woman says she took offense to the gesture, and for that, I apologize,” Cuomo said before launching into the rest of his remarks.
The governor is facing intensified calls for him to resign after New York Attorney General Letitia James released the findings of the state’s five-month investigation on Tuesday.
It found that Cuomo “sexually harassed multiple women,” including members of his own staff, members of the public and state employees.
Investigators also found the Governor and his team retaliated against at least one former employee who complained publicly about his conduct.
“Governor Cuomo sexually harassed current and former state employees in violation of both federal and state laws,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
“The independent investigation found that governor Cuomo harassed multiple women, many of whom were young women, by engaging in unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and by making inappropriate comments.”
More than half a dozen sexual harassment allegations were leveled against Cuomo earlier this year, with the claims ranging from instances of unwanted kisses, hugs, and groping, as well as inappropriate remarks of a sexual nature.
Cuomo, a Democrat darling at the onset of the pandemic, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Cuomo said that any discomfort caused was unintentional, adding: “I have never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate advances.”
“I’m 63-year-old and I’ve lived my entire life in public view,” he added. “That’s just not who I am and that’s not who I have ever been.”
“I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo began as he hit back.
He branded the allegations against him “ugly stories.”
Several Democrats, including New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, have renewed their calls for Cuomo to be removed from office in the wake of Tuesday’s bombshell report.
“It is beyond clear that Andrew Cuomo is not fit to hold office and can no longer serve as Governor,” de Blasio said.
“He must resign, and if he continues to resist and attack the investigators who did their jobs, he should be impeached immediately.”
In a joint statement, New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand wrote: “No elected official is above the law.
“The people of New York deserve better leadership in the governor’s office. We continue to believe that the Governor should resign.”
The White House has not yet commented on the report with Biden expected to speak later today.
