AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool
- Cuomo aides sent a letter to attack Lindsey Boylan's credibility, The New York Times reported.
- The letter was sent to former staffers after Boylan accused the governor of misconduct in December.
- Sources say Cuomo was aware of the letter and took part in at least one draft.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
People tied to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sent around a letter attacking Lindsey Boylan after she came forward with sexual assault allegations in December, The New York Times reported.
Aides reportedly tried to get former staffers, especially women, to sign on to the open letter, which said that Boylan was making the allegations for political gain.
"Weaponizing a claim of sexual harassment for personal political gain or to achieve notoriety cannot be tolerated," the letter said. "False claims demean the veracity of credible claims."
The letter, which was never published but reviewed by the Times, tried to link Boyland to former President Donald Trump's followers and released personal complaints made against her.
She was the first of six women who have accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior.
Boylan first recounted the alleged harassment in a Twitter thread in December and in February in a Medium blog post, saying Cuomo made unwanted sexual advances toward her.
She resigned in 2018 after the governor kissed her on the lips without her consent.
The Times added that there were multiple drafts of the letter, with one source telling the outlet that Cuomo himself had a hand in its creation.
The letter came at a time when officials in Cuomo's office knew of another sexual harassment report, one made by Charlotte Bennett six months earlier. Bennett would become the second woman to publically accuse the governor of misconduct. She claimed he asked her inappropriate questions and also made unwanted sexual advances toward her.
Cuomo has previously said he never inappropriately touched anyone but apologized for making anyone uncomfortable.
Lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York have called on Cuomo to resign in light of the allegations.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden told ABC News's George Stephanopoulos that if an investigation supports the women's allegations, Cuomo should step down.
"I think he'll probably end up being prosecuted, too," Biden said.