BUFFALO, N.Y. — Following the most recent allegations of sexual harassment against New York Governor Cuomo, the New York State Assembly Speaker says he will be meeting with members to discuss 'potential paths forward.'"
Carl E. Heastie issued this statement Thursday morning:
In light of the allegations concerning the Governor over the last several weeks, I will be meeting with members in conference today on potential paths forward.
The statement comes after a sixth woman came forward alleging sexual harassment against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
That's according to an article in The Albany Times Union.
The article states the woman alleged Cuomo inappropriately touched her during an encounter at the governor's mansion late last year. The article did not identify the woman, but did state she is a member of the Executive Chamber staff.
Cuomo has faced at least five allegations of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior over the past few weeks, some coming from former aides. Governor Cuomo denies the allegations and says he will not resign.
"I never touched anyone inappropriately," Cuomo said during a conference call with the media on Tuesday. "As I said last week, I never made any inappropriate advances. No one told me at that time that I made them feel uncomfortable. Obviously, there are people who said after the fact, they felt uncomfortable."
The governor added, "Every woman has a right to come forward. I encouraged that. Let the investigation get the facts and we'll take it from there."
New York State Attorney General Letitia James has appointed two attorneys to lead the investigation into some of the sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo.
Former Acting U.S Attorney for the Southern District of New York Joon H. Kim and employment discrimination attorney Anne L. Clark have been appointed to lead the independent investigation. They will be supported by Jennifer Kennedy Park, Abena Mainoo, and Yannick Grant.
The investigation will look into the allegations against Cuomo, as well as how he handled the matters. The team will report weekly to the Attorney General and will compile a report following their investigation. The report will be made public.