'SHOCKING KISS'
Married Cuomo accuser shares pics of ‘gov grabbing her face and kissing her in front of her home and family in 2017’
A MARRIED Andrew Cuomo accuser who claimed the governor grabbed her face and kissed her in front of her family says her son recorded the incident.
resident Sherry Vill, 55, appeared at a press conference on Monday afternoon with lawyer Gloria Allred, when she four years ago.
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Allred said Vill wanted to report it – but some members of her family discouraged her from filing complaint to protect her.
Cuomo's attorney Rita Glavin clapped back at the explosive claims this evening and said during a crisis, Cuomo often greets "men and women with hugs, a kiss on the cheek, forehead or hand for the past forty years."
During the conference, Vill recalled how in May 2017, Cuomo visited her house in Rochester, which had been damaged by flooding.
He was visiting the neighborhood to survey damages and staff asked if he could visit her home – and supposedly kissed her on the cheek as she held her pet pooch.
"The governor looked at me, approached me, took my hand and pulled me to him,” she said.
“He leaned down over me and kissed my cheek. I was holding my small dog in my arms and I thought he was going to pet my dog. But instead he went to squeeze between the dog."
"[He kissed] me on the other cheek in what I felt was a highly sexual manner," she added, later noting that the 6ft governor "towered" over her 5ft frame.
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“He said, ‘That’s what Italians do, kiss both cheeks,'” Vill said. “I felt shocked and didn’t understand what had just happened.
“But I knew I felt embarrassed and weird about the kissing. I am Italian, and in my family, family members kiss. Strangers do not kiss.”
Later, Cuomo again allegedly grabbed Vill’s face and kissed her on the cheek outside the house and in front of her son, who was filming the visit.
Signed photos of the governor visiting Vill's home that day were also produced during the briefing, along with a letter Vill received from him afterwards, "because it's difficult to tell it's Cuomo from this picture."
In a , Vill told friends that the governor had sent her this package, writing: “Look what the governor sent me in the mail."
Cuomo's response
Lawyer Rita Glavin told The Sun:
"During times of crisis, the Governor has frequently sought to comfort New Yorkers with hugs and kisses.
As I have said before, the Governor has greeted both men and women with hugs, a kiss on the cheek, forehead or hand for the past forty years.
I encourage everyone to look at other from his visit to Greece, NY that day.
Nothing described at today's press conference was unique in that regard.
Three other related points concerning Gloria Allred's press conference:
(1) the July 19, 2017 letter from the Governor that Ms. Allred displayed was a nearly identical follow-up form letter sent to more than 30 people that the Governor visited to support and assist following the Lake Ontario flooding, and those form letters were signed with an autopen;
(2) it is a practice of the Governor’s office to send signed photos to people he meets with after events, and those photos are regularly signed with an autopen;
(3) it is common for staffers to contact constituents after events and invite them to a future event on a related topic.”
Glavin refuted her claims today and encouraged "everyone to look at other from his visit to Greece, NY that day."
"Nothing described at today's press conference was unique in that regard," the lawyer said.
"The July 19, 2017 letter from the Governor that Ms. Allred displayed was a nearly identical follow-up form letter sent to more than 30 people that the Governor visited to support and assist following the Lake Ontario flooding, and those form letters were signed with an autopen.
";It is a practice of the Governor’s office to send signed photos to people he meets with after events, and those photos are regularly signed with an autopen.
"It is common for staffers to contact constituents after events and invite them to a future event on a related topic.”
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However, hours earlier, Allred described how her client feared if she made what happened to her public the governor might use his power to retaliate against her and family.
She said that Vill wanted Cuomo to resign today during the lively remote briefing.
"Women like Sherry will no longer be silent. They will refuse to be intimidated by powerful men,"; Allred said.
"We are proud of Sherry and look forward to due process, not only for the Governor but also for those who allege that they have been victimized by him
Moments later, Vill said when his staff left her house, Cuomo ";lagged behind them."
"He stopped turned to me and said 'you're beautiful,'" Vill alleged. "That made me feel even more uncomfortable I felt as though he was coming on to me in my own home."
Vill said she didn't follow the governor and his staffers outside because she felt uncomfortable and "walked out the front door away from them."
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";[He] approached me took my hand and said is there anything else you want," she added, alleging that at this point, he "grabbed my face aggressively with his large hand and kissed my cheek."
She alleged that it felt as though she was being "manhandled" by him during the explosive conference. Vill claimed she "could not use my other hand to stop him because he did it so quick."
Her son allegedly caught the moment on camera as he was taking a video outside their family home and her daughter later took a still grab from that footage.
Vill said Cuomo had been acting "inappropriately" in front of her friends and neighbors.
Vill also claimed that she received a phone call from a Cuomo staffer within a few days inviting her to an event without her husband.
I am Italian, and in my family, family members kiss. Strangers do not kiss.
Sherry Vill
"The whole thing was so strange and inappropriate and makes me nervous and afraid because of his power," she said.
"This has had a long term affect on me. My neighbors and customers called me the governors new girlfriend which has made me uncomfortable."
"I know the different between innocent gestures," she added. "[Cuomo] was overly sexual and highly inappropriate."
Reporters learned that she has not alerted Cuomo's office and that this is the first time Vill had spoken out about the incident.
Allred told journalists that Cuomo should be judged "based on evidence," "his words," and his alleged "conduct."
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She said at this point, there are no plans to file a lawsuit or a claim but they would contact the attorney general and "then be referred to their investigators.
"A photo of the Governor kissing the woman will also be shared at the press conference," stated Allred's release ahead of the briefing, which kicked off at 2.30pm ET in .
Allred is a well-known women's rights lawyer who is also representing 's accuser, .
Since late February, has fielded allegations from eight women – many of them former staffers – of inappropriate behavior, as well as bullying claims.
The Sun contacted Cuomo's office for comment earlier on Monday. He has previously said sorry for workplace comments but vehemently denied reports of touching.
Democrats like Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority leader but he has so far refused.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James is now investigating the allegations and a probe in the state Assembly is also underway.
was the first to speak out about Cuomo's alleged sexual sexual harassment, followed by , 25, who claimed he inquired about her sex life.
Bennet has branded the New York governor a "textbook abuser" who "let his temper rule the office" and claimed he during an alleged hazing incident.
Boylan, a former aide to the governor, alleged Cuomo and suggested they play strip poker.
On Friday, Boylan an embrace from him to one from Star Wars villain Jabba the Hutt.
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The 36-year-old has alleged that Cuomo, 63, that included kissing her “on the lips” and going out of his way to touch her.
She then tweeted a picture of Jabba squeezing a repulsed-looking Princess Leia with the words: “Just the good old office welcome to women in the governor’s office of New York.”
In response to Boylan’s tweet, another accuser Ana Liss tweeted “TFW he’s approaching your desk” with a gif of a shaking glass.
Alyssa McGrath, an executive assistant to the New York governor, recently became the eighth woman to come forward alleging sexual harassment by .
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She detailed a number of alleged interactions to the , saying Cuomo would often
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to her and another aide she worked with, she claimed.
Cuomo has denied all the accusations made against him, saying he "did not do what has been alleged."
Who has accused Gov. Cuomo of sexual harassment?
EIGHT women have accused Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment:
Lindsey Boylan - The former aide claims that the governor had kissed her on the lips in 2017 and went out of his way to touch her on her lower back, arms, and legs.
Charlotte Bennett - Cuomo's former aide has accused him of sexual harassment claiming that he asked her about her sex life and whether she ever had sex with older men.
Anna Ruch - A third woman, Anna Ruch, also came forward and told The New York Times that Cuomo touched her lower back, then grabbed her cheeks and asked to kiss her at a September 2019 wedding.
Ana Liss - Ms Liss was the fouth former Cuomo staffer to claim sexual harassment saying that the governor asked her if she had a boyfriend and that he once toucher her lower back at an event
Karen Hinton - Cuomo's former aide claims that he "touched her inappropriately" and that he summoned her to his "dimly-lit" hotel room and hugged her after a work event about 21 years ago.
Jessica Bakeman - The former Albany statehouse reporter claims she was sexually harassed by Como on multiple occasions from the start of her career in 2012.
Valerie Bauman - Claimed the governor made her "feel uncomfortable" when she was covering state politics in Albany.
Alyssa McGrath - The executive assistant working in the governor's office is the first current aide to speak out, alleging Cuomo "would ogle her body, remark on her looks, and make suggestive comments".
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