Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

Cuomo Says He’s ‘Learned A Lesson,’ Won’t Go In For A Kiss Unless Invited

(Screenshot/ABC/"The View")

Former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he “learned a lesson” from his sexual harassment allegations, adding that he won’t kiss anyone on the cheek unless they “initiate” the kiss first.

In 2021, Cuomo, who is running for New York City mayor as an independent, resigned from office following accusations that he sexually harassed 13 women who worked for the state. During an interview on ABC’s “The View,” the former governor was asked if he had a message for voters who have a “hard time” looking past the allegations after the Department of Justice found “credible claims.”

“When the report was issued, I said I believed it was politically motivated, and it was. I didn’t even know the allegations at that time, right? It was done in a report. I didn’t even know who the individuals were. We then spent five years, that report went to five district attorneys all over the state. No one found anything,” Cuomo said.

Following Cuomo’s resignation, a report commissioned by the New York State Assembly in November of that year found “overwhelming evidence” that the former governor sexually harassed state employees. At the time, Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James launched an independent investigation that also found Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women “by engaging in unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and by making inappropriate comments.”

Cuomo went on to say that he has not been criminally charged in connection with the allegations, adding that if he had “offended anyone in any way,” he “didn’t mean it.” (RELATED: Cuomo Blasts Zohran Mamdani For Being Wealthy Landowner While Pushing For Abolition Of Private Property)

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“It was then civilly litigated in court, the individual actions for five years. That came to nothing. I was dropped from the cases. So nothing came from those allegations. It was a very painful period for me and for my family. I have three young daughters, 30, 30, 28, not that young anymore,” Cuomo added. “But it was a very painful experience for my family.”

“I did say if I offended anyone in any way, I didn’t mean it. I learned a lesson, a painful lesson, which is to be much more cautious about everything you say, any joke, any comment,” Cuomo said. “I won’t kiss a person on the cheek unless they initiate a kiss. So it taught me a lesson, just to be super cautious because there is a sensitivity that has evolved that is real. If people feel it, it’s true. And it has to be respected.”

Despite findings from the independent report, a judge in January 2022 dismissed the charges brought against Cuomo, according to PBS. The decision came after Albany County prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to prove the case and requested to drop the charges, the outlet reported.

While charges were dismissed, the DOJ in January 2024 released its own report on the allegations, finding evidence that Cuomo sexually harassed 13 women — two more than those identified in James’ independent investigation.

According to the DOJ, Cuomo allegedly “subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment,” “tolerated that environment and failed to correct the problem on an agency-wide basis,” and “retaliated against employees who spoke out about the harassment.”

The former Democratic governor told The New York Times in June that he regretted resigning in 2021, saying that “at the time” he thought he would have been “a distraction to government functionality.”

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/ABC/”The View”)