Flood victim says Cuomo came over her home

A married New York woman said on Monday Governor Andrew Cuomo grabbed her by the face, gave her unwanted kisses and appeared to join her in front of her son as she visited the flood damage on his property in 2017.

Sherry Vill said she was introduced to Cuomo, at his Greece, New York home, where he leaned over and kissed her cheeks in a “highly sexual way.”

“He said: ‘This is what Italians do – kiss both cheeks,” “Vill told reporters at an online press conference with his lawyer, Gloria Allred.

Vill said she was shocked by Cuomo’s actions. “I’m Italian. In my family, family members kiss. Strangers don’t kiss,” Vill said.

As Cuomo, a Democrat, left to visit his property, Vill said he had stopped, turned to her and said, “You are beautiful.”

“I felt he was coming towards me in my own house,” Vill said. She said she felt so uncomfortable that she didn’t accompany him as he toured the property – but he turned around to give her another unwanted kiss anyway.

“He took my hand and said, ‘Is there anything else you want?’” She said. He then leaned down “forcibly grabbed my face” with his other hand “and kissed my cheek,” Vill said.

She added that Cuomo is about a foot taller than her. “I felt like I was being pushed around,” she said.

“Within days,” Vill said, she received a call from a woman in Cuomo’s office inviting her to an event with the governor.

“She didn’t say that my husband and I, my family and I – just me. I was the only one who got the call,” she said, adding that she had never returned. the call. “It was all so strange and inappropriate.”

Later, the governor’s office sent him pictures of her and the governor speaking, one of which was signed by Cuomo. Vill’s son, whose age has not been given, captured one of the kisses on the video of which Allred showed a screenshot. Allred said the son no longer had the video.

Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since the first of more than a half-dozen sexual misconduct allegations was made against Cuomo over the past month, the governor has denied touching anyone inappropriately, but has admitted that he perhaps had acted in a way that made people uncomfortable. He said it was unintentional and apologized. The incidents are under investigation by the state attorney general’s office and the state assembly has launched an impeachment inquiry into Cuomo’s actions.

Cuomo has repeatedly said he will not resign, despite calls for him to step down from the bulk of the New York Congressional delegation and dozens of state lawmakers.

Allred said Vill would cooperate with Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation and that they would contact his office later on Monday.

Vill said she hadn’t spoken out earlier because she was afraid of Cuomo. “I’m still scared, but I don’t want to be silent anymore,” she says.

Vill is the fifth woman to complain that Cuomo has given unwanted hugs or kisses, and her story is similar to that of another woman, Anna Ruch, this month. Ruch, 33, told the New York Times that Cuomo, whom she had just met, put his hands on her face and asked to kiss her at a wedding in 2019. Ruch said she was trying to withdraw when he did.

Cuomo then said he didn’t mean any offense.

“Kissing people, men, women is my usual and usual way of greeting,” he told reporters this month. “I understand that sensitivities have changed and behavior has changed. And I understand, and I will learn from it.”

In addition to the kissing and hugging allegations, another woman, a state employee, claimed Cuomo groped her, and others accused him of asking inappropriate questions and doing inappropriate comments. He denied touching anyone inappropriately.

Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to talk about Cuomo, tweeted about the new allegations before the press conference.

“Another case of inappropriate touching on the part of the man (@NYGovCuomo) who says he has never touched women inappropriately. Guess we’re all liars doing this for … huge legal bills and potential infamy? she wrote.