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- Female aides to Governor Andrew Cuomo say there was an informal dress code for women in his office.
- A dozen young women told The New York Times that they felt pressured to wear dresses, heels and makeup around him.
- See more stories on the Insider business page.
A large number of female assistants to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have said they have been explicitly told or felt pressured to wear makeup and dress to please the governor and advance professionally.
Twelve women told the New York Times that it was generally accepted that they should wear heels, dresses and makeup around Cuomo. More than a dozen women who worked for Cuomo told New York Magazine that the governor and his senior assistants exerted great pressure to dress well and wear expensive clothes. Some said they were specifically asked to wear heels in the presence of the governor. Several current and former governor’s office staff told The Times that tall, thin and blond women were favored in the hiring process.
Another former aide named Kaitlin, who asked that her last name not be used, told New York Magazine that the governor would criticize her physical appearance if she came to work with wet hair or did not meet her standards. She said he would say to her, “You decided not to prepare today?” or “Didn’t you wear makeup today?”
Former staff member Ana Liss said an executive assistant to the governor told her, “When the governor is here you have to look really good.”
A current senior assistant and two former staff told The Times they believed they had been sidelined from certain professional opportunities because of the way they dressed. Three former staff members said they had to dress as Cuomo wanted if they wanted special attention from the governor. Staff who dressed according to Cuomo’s code would be seated at desks within sight of his office in the Capitol Building, The Times reported.
Cuomo’s office has denied allegations about the informal dress code for women.
“Not now and we never expected to wear certain clothes or high heels,” Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser, told The Times.
The allegations come as the New York attorney general’s office oversees an investigation into multiple allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances made against Cuomo by eight women, including former aides. New York state lawmakers have launched an impeachment inquiry, and a majority of state congressional Democrats are calling on the governor to step down.
On Friday, the governor again denied any wrongdoing and refused to resign.
Peter Yacobellis, who was Cuomo’s assistant director of administrative services from 2011 to 2014, told The Times that there was “clearly a toxic environment for many women in the governor’s office” and no substantial training on sexual harassment .
“If you’re a woman who wants to focus on work, this is the worst place to be,” New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, who was a Cuomo aide for seven months, told The Times. in 2017. Biaggi openly criticizes the governor, whom she described as a “monster”, and asks him to resign.
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