Who is Ana Liss? Andrew Cuomo's ex-aide says he called her 'sweetheart', grabbed her waist and kissed her
Another former aide of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reportedly has described inappropriate workplace treatment by the governor. The woman has stated that the governor called her “sweetheart” and asked if she had a boyfriend.
Ana Liss, a policy and operations aide who worked for the governor from 2013 to 2015, said he’d behaved inappropriately while on the job in Albany. Liss revealed that Cuomo called her "sweetheart" and once he even touched her on her lower back, apart from kissing her hand once. Liss has also said that Cuomo asked her if she was dating anyone.
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Liss is the third former state employee to accuse the governor of varying degrees of sexual harassment. With her case and that of Karen Hinton, 62, accusers of Cuomo go to five. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Liss, who is currently Director of Planning and Development for Monroe County, said that actions by Cuomo were unsolicited and happened while she sat at her desk, which was near his office in the Executive Chamber a the NYS Capitol. Liss told the newspaper that she initially perceived Cuomo’s conduct as harmless flirtations, but over time came to see it as patronizing and that, “It’s not appropriate, really, in any setting.”
Liss described a May 2014 encounter with the governor in Albany’s executive mansion, where Cuomo approached Liss with the greeting, “Hey, sweetheart!” she said. Cuomo then hugged her, planted his lips on both cheeks, put his arm around her lower back and grabbed her waist, she said, as they turned to a photographer to have their picture taken.
Liss also said that she decided to come forward after two former aides, Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett, said that the governor engaged in inappropriate behaviors. Last week Cuomo publicly addressed sexual harassment accusations against him for the first time, saying on Wednesday, March 3, that he did not intend to make anyone uncomfortable and that he is truly sorry.
Liss is currently working with Monroe County Executive Adam Bello. She is working in efforts to promote growth and investment in the 19 towns and villages and 750,000 residents of the Greater Rochester, NY region. She is also the Executive Director of the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) and the Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation (MCIDC). She holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, a BA in Journalism from Ithaca College, and an Advanced Certificate in Innovation Management and Technology Transfer from SUNY Empire State College’s MBA program.
On Saturday, March 6, Karen Hinton, 62, spoke to the Washington Post about an incident in which Cuomo summoned her to his 'dimly lit' hotel room and embraced her after a work event in 2000. Hinton said that she tried to pull away from Cuomo but he pulled her back and held her before she backed away and escaped the room. As the women came forward with their stories, other aides spoke to both the Journal and Post about the 'toxic' work environment created by Cuomo. It included testimonies from two male aides who claimed the governor would berate them using explicit language, calling them "p*****s" and saying that they "have no balls."
Last month, Charlotte Bennett detailed multiple instances in which the governor allegedly made inappropriate comments, including asking her if her experience with sexual assault had impacted her sex life. Cuomo allegedly told Bennett he was comfortable dating 22-year-olds and was looking for a girlfriend, and asked her about her sexual relationships. Cuomo is facing similar allegations from two other women, Lindsey Boylan and Anna Ruch. Boylan, the former chief of staff at New York's state economic agency, alleged Cuomo sexually harassed her for years at work and kissed her during a one-on-one meeting, which Cuomo denies. Ruch, the only accuser who did not work for the governor, accused Cuomo of putting his hands on her lower back and face and asking if he could kiss her at a wedding reception in 2019.
Last week, MEAWW reported about a video of Andrew Cuomo asking reporter Beth Cefalu to 'eat whole sausage' at the state fair 2016. In the video, Cuomo can be seen challenging Cefalu to eat an entire Gianelli sausage sandwich. "I want to see you eat the whole sausage." "I don’t know if I should eat the whole sausage in front of you, but I’m definitely going to eat it," Cefalu responds. Cuomo then invites Cefalu to sit at his table. Before eating, Cefalu snaps a selfie with the governor while holding up her food. "There’s too much sausage in that picture," Cuomo says, prompting laughter from others at the table.