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De Blasio calls for investigation into Cuomo sexual harassment claims
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) on Thursday called for an investigation into sexual harassment allegations made against Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) by a former member of his administration, Lindsey Boylan.
On Wednesday in an essay published to Medium, Boylan accused the governor of inappropriate touching and remarks, as well as kissing without consent.
RELATED: ‘Let’s play strip poker’: Fmr. Cuomo aide accuses NY governor of sexual harassment
“These allegations are really disturbing. Let’s be clear about that, they’re really disturbing. We have to, as New Yorkers, we got to take this seriously. When a woman comes forward with this kind of very specific allegations, they have to be taken seriously,” de Blasio said at a press conference.
De Blasio, who is widely considered to be rivals with Cuomo, specifically called for an investigation independent of any possible influence from Cuomo’s administration.
“We need a full and independent investigation, I want to emphasize the word ‘independent,’ investigation by some individual or entity that is not compromised, is not dominated by the governor’s office, but an independent investigation,” de Blasio continued. “This kind of behavior, if it’s true, is unacceptable in any public servant, in anybody. So we’ve got to get the truth about this.”
Back in December, Boylan accused the governor of making inappropriate comments about her appearance but did not elaborate further at the time.
Cuomo’s press secretary, Caitlin Girouard, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that Boylan’s accusations were “quite simply false.” In particular, Girouard pointed to a statement from other administration officials saying they did not witness conversations that she alleged occurred on a flight in October 2017, when Cuomo allegedly remarked to Boylan: “Let’s play strip poker.”
De Blasio’s remarks also follow him last week coming to the defense of a Queens lawmaker, Assemblyman Ron Kim (D), who accused Cuomo of threatening him over the phone for not helping the governor allegedly cover up the scandal surrounding the administration underreporting the number of coronavirus-related deaths at nursing homes.
MORE ON DE BLASIO, CUOMO: ‘The bullying is nothing new’: de Blasio unleashes on Gov. Cuomo after lawmaker says he was threatened
Kim himself on Wednesday came to the defense of Boylan, and called Cuomo a “coward.”
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.
In a significant development, Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, was indicted on Thursday on federal gun charges as part of Special Counsel David Weiss’ ongoing investigation. The indictment alleges that Hunter Biden made false statements during the purchase of a firearm, among other charges.
The charges against Hunter Biden include:
• Making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm
• Making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer
•Possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance
According to the indictment, the alleged incident occurred on or about October 12, 2018, in the District of Delaware. Hunter Biden is accused of knowingly making a false and fictitious written statement during the acquisition of a Colt Cobra 38SPL Revolver. According to reports from Fox News, the statement, submitted on Form 4473, falsely certified that he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, or controlled substance.
Furthermore, the indictment further states that between October 12, 2018, and October 23, 2018, in the District of Delaware, Hunter Biden knowingly possessed the same firearm despite being an unlawful user of and addicted to controlled substances. This marks the first set of charges brought by Special Counsel David Weiss against Hunter Biden since being granted special counsel status.
The investigation came to public attention when it was reported by Fox News in 2021 that police had responded to an incident in 2018 involving a gun owned by Hunter Biden.
Reports state that, Hallie Biden, the widow of President Biden’s late son, Beau, who was in a relationship with Hunter at the time, discarded the gun. Hunter’s gun was thrown away in a dumpster near a market, located close to a school. It was subsequently revealed that Hunter Biden had purchased a gun earlier that same month.
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles do not end with the gun charges. Earlier in July, an original plea agreement collapsed, which would have seen him plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts for willful failure to pay federal income tax, thus avoiding jail time on a felony gun charge. Instead, he pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and one felony gun charge.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed David Weiss as special counsel to oversee the Hunter Biden investigation and related matters. The White House has declined to comment on these developments, which continue to draw significant public and media attention.
Follow Alexander Carter on Twitter @AlexCarterDC for more!
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