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Bloomberg reporter Valerie Bauman said embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D., made her feel "uncomfortable" as a young reporter with inappropriate flirting and special access.
Bauman detailed her time covering New York state politics for the Associated Press as "a period marked by rampant sexism and sexual harassment." In a statement, she said Cuomo – who is under investigation after accusations of sexual harassment by multiple women -- was part of the problem even though his behavior toward her fell short of "more severe cases" told by other accusers.
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"I have decided to share my experience to shine a light on the broader culture of sexual harassment and devaluation of women’s voices in Albany. Perhaps things have changed in the past decade, but I suspect not enough," Bauman wrote.
"To be clear: Andrew Cuomo never touched me inappropriately or said anything that I felt I could report to my boss. He did make me uncomfortable, as did a lot of men in Albany," Bauman continued. "My greatest hesitation about speaking on this matter was that my story would be interpreted as putting certain problematic behavior on par with more severe cases."
However, she is now speaking out because "there is room to talk about any situation where a professional is treated differently because of their gender, race, sexuality or gender identity" in the current climate.
She described that Cuomo made "unwavering eye contact" with her during a press conference back when he was the state attorney general that made her feel uneasy.
"Actually starring to the point that I started blushing and looking around at people surrounding me, whose own facial expressions indicated, ‘Yes, ma’am, he’s looking at you,’" Bauman wrote, adding that Cuomo approached her when the event wrapped up.
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"He took my hand, entered my personal space and looked into my eyes as he announced, ‘Hello, I’m Andrew Cuomo,’" Bauman wrote. "Afterward, a fellow reporter loudly observed that Andrew Cuomo seemed very into me. I was embarrassed, but least is wasn’t my imagination, I thought."
Bauman said she was approached about a job in Cuomo’s office shortly after the encounter but opted to remain in journalism.
"Soon after that, I started to get an unusual level of access to the attorney general. Cuomo’s office had a reputation in the press corps for ignoring requests and being very controlling about the public narrative around the attorney general. Yet, when I would call with simple question that and aide could easily answer, Andrew Cuomo would sometimes pick up the phone himself," she wrote. "He would greet me in a booming voice, repeating my name frequently."
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She said the special access didn’t amount to much, as he dodged tough questions and often changed the subject to ask "random" personal questions.
"It felt like he was flirting with me, and I think that’s because he was. It was embarrassing anf uncomfortable, but I did my best to do the job without giving him any indication I was flirting back," she wrote. "The calls eventually dwindled and stopped altogether. So that’s it. That is my whole story of covering Andrew Cuomo."
Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cuomo has been accused by various levels of harassment and misconduct by at least seven women. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including both New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on him to resign, but he has said he will not step down.
He is also embroiled by a separate scandal: his administration's cover-up of coronavirus nursing home deaths in the state.