Andrew Cuomo: Another woman accuses New York governor of sexual harassment
Sherry Vill joins a number of women who have made claims against Mr Cuomo
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Your support makes all the difference.Another woman has come forward and accused New York governor Andrew Cuomo of inappropriate behaviour.
Sherry Vill says that the under-fire politician engaged in “unwanted, unwelcome physical contact” when he kissed her on the cheek during a storm damage visit to her home in 2017.
Ms Vill, 55, says that the governor kissed her once when he entered her home, and later a second time outside the property, which was caught on camera by her son.
“He took my hand and said, is there anything else you want,” Ms Vill said at a press conference with lawyer Gloria Allred.
And she added: “I know the difference between an innocent gesture and a sexual one.
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“His actions were overly sexual, highly inappropriate and disrespectful to me and my family. I am no longer willing to stay silent.”
A string of women have now come forward and made allegations of sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour against the governor, with a state impeachment investigation under way and the New York attorney general also looking into the claims.
Mr Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.
Miss Vill, a married mother of three, said that days after Mr Cuomo’s visit one of his staffers called and invited her to an event he was attending.
Ms Allred said that her client was not pursuing any criminal charges against Mr Cuomo, but planned to to speak with the investigation being overseen by New York attorney general Letitia James.
Ms Vill said that after Mr Cuomo’s visit that people in the community of Greece, New York, referred to her as “the governor’s girlfriend.”
She described Mr Cuomo visiting her home to inspect the damage when the alleged interaction took place.
“That’s when the governor looked at me, approached me, took my hand and pulled me to him,” added Ms Vill.
“He leaned down over me and kissed my cheek. I was holding my small dog in my arms in my arms and I thought he was going to pet my dog.
“But instead he went to squeeze between the dog … and kiss me on the other cheek in what I felt was a highly sexual manner.”
She said that Mr Cuomo explained to her that he kissed people like that because of his Italian-American heritage.
“He said, ‘That’s what Italians do, kiss both cheeks,’” she said.
“I felt shocked and didn’t understand what had just happened.
“But I knew I felt embarrassed and weird about the kissing. I am Italian, and in my family, family members kiss. Strangers do not kiss.”
Mr Cuomo’s personal lawyer, Rita Glavin, rejected the claims made against him.
“During times of crisis, the Governor has frequently sought to comfort New Yorkers with hugs and kisses,” Ms Glavin said in a statement to The Independent.
“As I have said before, the Governor has greeted both men and women with hugs, a kiss on the cheek, forehead or hand for the past forty years. I encourage everyone to look at other photographs from his visit to Greece, New York that day.
“Nothing described at today’s press conference was unique in that regard.”
Ms Glavin added that it was common practice for Mr Cuomo’s office to send follow-up letters, signed photos and to invite them to future events.
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