There remains a blackout on the sexual harassment allegations against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo by most major media outlets. Putting aside the striking lack of interest in comparison to the allegations raised against Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the controversy from that confirmation fight could raise difficult questions for Cuomo who not only insisted that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford must be believed but demanded that Kavanaugh take a polygraph examination. It is not clear if Cuomo will now follow his own standard and take a polygraph examination arranged by others.
During the Kavanaugh hearing, various Democratic leaders publicly insisted that “women must be believed” when raising sexual harassment allegations and declared Kavanaugh guilty before either he or Ford actually testified. Senator Maxie Hirono publicly stated that Kavanaugh was not even entitled to any presumption of innocence. Indeed, Hirono insisted that men needed to “just shut up” and accept the allegations.
The view that “women must be believed” changed the minute that Joe Biden was accused of sexual assault and then refused to allow the review of his papers held under seal at the University of Delaware. Suddenly, figures like Nancy Pelosi and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer insisted that they believed Biden without any review such papers or even speaking with the alleged victim (a former Biden staffer). Ethics experts like Richard Painter attacked those who suggested that the accuser might be telling the truth as endangering the election. Others like Rep. Iihan Omar, Linda Hirschman, and Lisa Bloom found an even more startling resolution: they stated that Biden was clearly a rapist, but they would still vote for him.
The allegations raised by former Biden aide Lindsey Boylan are notably easier to confirm. She stated “Yes, [Cuomo] sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years.”
These are not allegations that are decades old with few, if any, witnesses. Boylan worked for the governor’s administration from 2015 to 2018 and says that there were many witnesses. Notably, the Kavanaugh hearing was in 2018.
In fairness to Cuomo., I was surprised by Boylan making these serious allegations against Cuomo and then saying that she would not speak with reporters on the details. She stated on Twitter “To be clear: I have no interest in talking to journalists. I am about validating the experience of countless women and making sure abuse stops. My worst fear is that this continues.” That is hardly fair to Cuomo to declare him a harasser and then refuse to support the allegations.
As with Kavanaugh, I believe both sides need to be heard and that we should not assume Cuomo is guilty based on an allegation. Some groups however are not waiting. UltraViolet co-founder Shaunna Thomas has called for Cuomo to apologize (though notably not to resign) for his harassment of women. Other groups with the Me Too Movement, Time’s Up and EMILY’s List who led the calls with Kavanaugh were conspicuously silent when the Democratic governor was accused.
The strongest case against Cuomo may be Cuomo. In the Kavanaugh hearing, Cuomo declared Kavanaugh clearly guilty. He publicly declared
“The confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is a sad day for this country, and it will haunt us for as long as he is on the court.
Today 50 senators put partisan politics over the sanctity of the highest court in the nation. In November, the American people get to respond and make their voices heard.
In New York, we will not waver and will not back down. To Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and all survivors of sexual assault, we believe you and we will fight for you. The sham FBI investigation and the bigger sham, this confirmation process, have energized us to fight even harder for our shared vision for a better future for all.
We will not wait for our rights to be taken away. Here in New York, I vow to codify Roe v. Wade within the first 30 days of my next administration, strengthen our common-sense gun safety laws and continue our progress expanding access to quality affordable health care. While extreme conservatives in Washington try to take this nation backward, New York will lead the way forward.”
Cuomo was one of the most vocal figures to demand that women must be believed. Boylan was working for Cuomo during the year of the Kavanaugh hearings. Cuomo declared “A woman’s testimony is worth as much as a man’s. That shouldn’t be a controversial proposition.” Cuomo then added the Republicans who supported Ford in the hearing “should require Judge Kavanaugh to take a polygraph test as Dr. Ford has done.”
I have never agreed with such calls for polygraphs in public controversies, but Cuomo clearly does. The question is whether he will allow others to arrange a polygraph in this controversy when the accused is named not Kavanaugh but Cuomo.
CNNLOL
Journalist Lisa DePaulo reveals how ‘pervy’ Jeffrey Toobin, 60, told her he’d split from his wife and left her a voicemail detailing sex act he wanted to perform on her – as it’s revealed CNN is STILL employing him
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9056527/CNN-employing-Jeffrey-Toobin-fired-New-Yorker-Zoom-masturbation.html
Today I’m studying Italian epithets. “The Great Sfaccimm of NY” is interesting.
Sfaccimm is not a dirty Italian word, but could be translated into something like “low-life,” “heel,” or “low-born.”
right. it’s not like saying that Cuomo is a testacazzu or that Pete Butt is finocchio
Turley insists both sides need to be heard. Good point. Trump was recently ordered by a court to produce a DNA sample to see if it matches the semen stain on the dress worn by a woman who claimed he raped her. Let’s see if the DNA sample matches before anyone leaps to any conclusions about an elected leader accused of rape.
JT rails on about Barr suppressing the Hunter Biden story in the lead up to the 2020 election but oddly gives Trump a pass for paying a porn star $350,000 to keep voters from learning about his sordid sex romps in the lead up to the 2016 election. Turley attacked the media for disregarding what Bobulinkski said about Joe Biden so surely JT believes no one should ignore Trump’s former national security adviser saying “Obstruction of justice is a way of life in the Trump White House” & 3 former Trump cabinet members calling Trump unfit for office & a pathological liar.
Eagerly awaiting Turley to start addressing both sides of the stories.
Long wait ahead. Seems our gracious host is most likely a paid media influencer for the right.
Hypocrites is what constitutes the Democrat Party. Cuomo is just one of the bigger ones. He so happens to have won an Emmy for his handling of the Covid crisis which involved his killing of thousands of nursing home patients.
First, this is ROFLMAO funny. Cuomo is a hypocrite and probably guilty as hell. However, polygraphs are worthless. I’ve taken polygraph examinations twice and can attest that they are as bogus as snake oil (and came about during the same period.) I was judged deceptive on a test when every word I uttered was 100% true. My advice is to NEVER submit to one and NEVER accept the results of one as any kind of proof of anything. Scientist testing has determined time after time that the results, which are “interpreted by the administrator”, are no accurate than flipping a coin.
Turley glosses over the allegations against Kavanaugh and Cuomo to make them sound equivalent. Kavanaugh allegedly raped a woman. Cuomo allegedly made some inappropriate comments about a woman aide’s appearance. You can believe allegations against both without putting both things in the same category, or expect the media to assign the same level of coverage to each.
What woman did Kavanaugh “allegedly rape”?
Dr. Ford. Are you not familiar with the allegations she made?
” Are you not familiar with the allegations she made?”
Surely you jest. Refute all sense of reason and maintain your comfortable delusion. Carry on.
She didn’t allege that Kavanaugh raped her. She alleged sexual assault (that he held her down on a bed with his body, grinding against her and groping her, trying to pull her clothes off, and covering her mouth when she tried to scream).
It was not “rape” that she “alleged.” And nothing close to it. Not one thing from her “story” was even remotely corroborated, and not even her best friend whom Ford said was with her at this “party” would say that she recalled anything at all like the event Blasey Ford said so traumatized her. What a disgraceful person Blasey Ford is. A true sociopath.
Are you talking about Blasey Ford when you say Kavanaugh “allegedly raped a woman”?
Because you are flat-out wrong about that. Her own “story” was complete bullish*t and did not allege “rape.”
Blasey Ford is a “survivor” my ass. She is a liar and a fraud.
Jon’s living the dream: write a push piece for deflection purposes and watch his commenters call for the death penalty for the subject. Good times.
Our media’s preferred method of mendacity is unnamed sources, but when the sources are accusing Democrats, it’s mendacity by omission. What a world we are about to live in. Save me a lower bunk at the gulag, please.
Prof Turley, you need to fix this: “The allegations raised by former Biden aide Lindsey Boylan…” You mean “Cuomo aide”.
Wow…how shocking. A Democrat gets special treatment and political cover from the sham media. Say it isn’t so.
The hypocrisy from the left on these topics of harassment is breathtaking. Kamela Harris called Jacob Blake and his family after he was shot in Kenosha but as far as I know, never spoke to the woman who Blake was attacking that day forcing her to call police in the first place. This is also the woman who was allegedly sexually attacked by Blake causing a warrant and charge for 3rd degree assault. Instead of a call of support by these ‘compassionate’ candidates this woman was harassed by her community for calling the police.
Imagine the lesson that Harris and Biden gave to other Black women who get harassed. Don’t call the police. Don’t stand up for yourself or your children. If political points can be made, no one will stand up for you … except people accused of supporting Trump or the next opponent of the Left and Democrats.
You’re hung up on self-contradiction, Professor. Pointing out self-contradiction is an argument, and arguments are cheap.
https://strikelawyer.wordpress.com/2017/10/17/recently-overheard/
Bless that Woman for refusing to talk to Reporters….that is not the venue this controversy should be adjudicated….that can come after a proper, formal, criminal investigation.
Let the investigation go where the evidence leads and report its findings to a Prosecutor to decide if a prosecution is warranted.
Then, if a prosecution takes place….let a Judge or Judge and Jury decide the Case.
Finally…upon competion of the legal process….let the media argue its case and try the case in the court of public opinion.
Then not only the allegations but the resolution of those allegations gets tried by the Public.
What is so nice about this is seeing how the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice system along with the Media act when it is a high ranking elected official being accused….and is a Liberal Democrat and not a a Conservative Republican.
Until the reaction by all is the same….unbiased and objective and proves equality under the law does exist…..it all remains a Dog and Pony Show with lots of window dressing.
MeToo is now meaningless, killed by its own. Because it’s part of the cancellation culture, I won’t mourn its loss of influence or relevance.
“What’s that smell in this room? … Didn’t you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? There ain’t nothin’ more powerful than the odor of mendacity. …”
Right on, Brick! 😉
The list is getting longer by the hour of the stories that the liberal media are not covering. Fortunately there is Wonder Woman Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
She scolded the media on Tuesday for overlooking scandals surrounding Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Hunter Biden.
McEnany noted that President Trump’s Middle East peace deals haven’t received significant coverage by the mainstream media but told viewers they shouldn’t be surprised at this point.
There is no scandal surrounding Swalwell. Unlike Trump’s allies, he cooperated with the FBI.
Instead of the FBI directly intervening and trying to turn or get information from the spy, the FBI told Swalwell. Swalwell told the spy who left for China. That is scandalous, but got Swalwell and the Democrats out of trouble. +100 for China -100 for the US
“It is not clear if Cuomo will now follow his own standard…”
It is clear that Cuomo won’t.
He is typical of the lefty “Good for you, but not for me.”
He’s less scrupulous than his father and his father was addled by vindictiveness and megalomania, conducting himself in ways that surprised jaded people used to Albany politics. It’s a pattern in New York: fools, thugs, greasers. The state’s electorate is all too far from God, all too intimate with its own stupidity.
What does the word “WOP” mean? The accusor called Cuomo “a WOP”. Someone else said it meant With Out Papers.
Lie detectors are not reliable.
Right on lie detectors. As for the “meaning” of the word WOP, whatever it is was lost in antiquity but it goes way, way back.
Polygraph test or electric chair?
There are not enough volts in an electric chair to subject Andrew Cuomo for what he has done to the elderly in nursing homes, the people of NY State and NYC.
Waste of time. The media and most of Democrats in power couldn’t care less.
“Waste of time. The media and most of Democrats in power couldn’t care less.”
Well said. Ethics and morality as ideals are only important to democrats when they can be used to achieve a goal. And you find that they are frequently the first items jettisoned (along with justice) when their needs change. Of course, this is a completely valid way of conducting oneself when following post modernism.