Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in his first public comments since a key Senate leader was accused of sexual harassment, said he wants investigations to play out before he makes any judgments.
Senate Independent Democratic Leader Jeff Klein, a Cuomo ally, has been accused of forcibly kissing a former staffer, a charge Klein adamantly denies.
The senator has asked the state’s ethics commission to investigate, saying he’s willing to cooperate. Cuomo, speaking on Long Island, said he’s also waiting for the results of that inquiry.
"There’s going to be an independent investigation,” said Cuomo, who added he immediately called for an independent probe when he heard of the allegations on Jan. 10. “I think we should wait to see what that investigation says.”
Cuomo said he thinks “it’s a good thing” that women are coming forward, and said he will push for a uniform anti-sexual harassment policy in all branches of state government, as well as set up a private complaint reporting system for victims.
