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Hillary Clinton backs probe into Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment allegations, Internet says 'sit this one out'

'These stories are difficult to read, and the allegations brought forth raise serious questions that the women who have come forward and all New Yorkers deserve answers to'

Former secretary of state and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has signaled support for a thorough investigation into the accusations of sexual harassment leveled against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo by three women.

Cuomo was accused by two former aides of sexual harassment — allegations he has already denied. Lindsey Boylan claimed last December that Cuomo had harassed her for years in a series of tweets. Last week, she published an essay titled 'My story of working with Governor Cuomo' on Medium and detailed her experience of working with the Democratic governor, writing, "Governor Andrew Cuomo has created a culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected. His inappropriate behavior toward women was an affirmation that he liked you, that you must be doing something right. He used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences."

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Following this, another aide Charlotte Bennett claimed that the governor asked “questions about her sex life, whether she was monogamous in her relationships and if she had ever had sex with older men”. Bennett, who is 25 years old, resigned from the governor’s office last November and stated that the harassment came last spring during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In a statement obtained by Fox News, Hillary Clinton backed the investigation into the allegations, saying in the statement, "These stories are difficult to read, and the allegations brought forth raise serious questions that the women who have come forward and all New Yorkers deserve answers to." She added, "I’m glad to see that there will be a full, independent, and thorough investigation."

With her statement, Clinton joins other Democrats who have extended support for the investigation. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted on the allegations, "Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett’s detailed accounts of sexual harassment by Gov. Cuomo are extremely serious and painful to read. There must be an independent investigation - not one led by an individual selected by the Governor, but by the office of the Attorney General."

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) also called for an investigation into the alleged sexual misconduct to “be led by someone fully independent of the governor” and said the allegations were “disturbing.” De Blasio said that if the allegations are proven true then Cuomo should step down, saying, “If someone purposely tried to use their power to force a woman to have sex with them, of course that’s someone who should no longer be in public service."

However, many have not taken well to the former secretary of state's statement. One user wrote on Twitter, "Maybe you should sit this one out." Another tweeted, "Well Hillary should know. She should be an expert in this area thanks to Bill." A user opined, "Not sure she is the right 'stand by your man' gall to say any thing given Bill’s history."

Clinton's statement comes just as a third woman came forward about allegations of sexual misconduct against Cuomo. Anna Ruch, a former member of the Obama administration accused Cuomo of sexual harassment at a wedding in September 2019.