Women in Cuomo’s sexual harassment cases respond to his mayoral bid

When Andrew Cuomo announced his bid for mayor of New York this March, his allies framed it as a redemption story. Big donors resurfaced, old political friends rallied, and Cuomo himself spoke of unfinished business. 

He quickly formed a new slogan, “Fight & Deliver,” to brand his reentry into New York politics.

But for the women who had accused him of harassment—the very women whose voices had ended his governorship barely four years before—the announcement landed differently. 

In Rochester, 330 miles from New York City, Ana Liss felt a familiar weight pressing against her chest. It wasn’t shock; she had long expected Cuomo to try to claw his way back. But what settled over that morning was something heavier—dread. 

“I felt defeated and disappointed and scared,” Liss said in an interview with BreakThrough News. 

Years earlier, as a young aide in Cuomo’s administration, Liss worked in an office where tension “could be cut with a knife;” where women were told to wear heels when the governor was in Albany, and flirtation from the most powerful man in the state was part of the culture. She served as a policy and operations aide in the Executive Chamber from 2013 to 2015, where she endured “instances of unsolicited attention paid to me by the governor, and the sexually hostile work environment perpetuated by him and senior staff.”

“During my time in the Executive Chambers,” she said in her statement, “it was a toxic, verbally abusive, retaliatory workplace, especially for young women like myself.”

Speaking out against that workplace in 2021 left her carrying a mark she couldn’t shake.

She was among eleven women who testified against Cuomo to the state attorney general, and she paid a steep price for it.

“My mental health has been severely impacted,” she told BreakThrough News. “I still see a counselor every other week, and it still comes up. It’s almost like a scarlet letter in a way.”

“It was a toxic, verbally abusive, retaliatory workplace, especially for young women like myself.”

For Lindsey Boylan, Cuomo’s reentry into politics was less a shock than a confirmation.

She had been expecting this ever since December 2020, when she became the first woman to speak out against Cuomo, tweeting that the governor had “sexually harassed me for years.”

“Many saw it, and watched,” Boylan tweeted at the time. 

Boylan had once been a rising star in Cuomo’s administration. After a stint as a municipal finance banker, she joined the state’s economic development arm in 2015, quickly climbing the ranks to Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Special Advisor to the Governor. 

She built a career she took pride in—one grounded in policy, urban planning, and economic strategy. 

But the work she fought to be respected for was constantly undermined by Cuomo’s attention: comments about her looks, comparisons to a former girlfriend, a “strip poker” remark overheard by aides.

In February 2021, Boylan shared new details about an encounter in 2018 inside Cuomo’s Manhattan office. “As I got up to leave and walk toward an open door, he stepped in front of me and kissed me on the lips,” Boylan wrote. “I was in shock, but I kept walking.”

When Boylan went public, Cuomo’s aides moved swiftly to discredit her. Senior staff leaked confidential files to reporters, and according to a New York Times report Cuomo himself helped draft an op-ed meant to smear her, which was never released. The state attorney general later concluded those actions amounted to “unlawful retaliation.” The fallout lasted for years—harassment online, professional doors closing, and a political machine arrayed against her. Boylan told BreakThrough News it was “the hardest experience” of her life.

“I don’t think the level of vitriol that any woman receives or any survivor receives when they first come forward is something that you can really prepare for…because it’s truly terrible,” she said.

In February 2021, Boylan shared new details about an encounter in 2018 inside Cuomo’s Manhattan office. “As I got up to leave and walk toward an open door, he stepped in front of me and kissed me on the lips,” Boylan wrote.

“He was probably the most popular and most powerful governor in the country. And so it was very difficult… It was kind of like blowing up my own life. And kind of having to spend the next several years picking up the pieces. But at the same time, it was one of those formative experiences where I don’t think I would be if I hadn’t done it. I would not be myself had I not spoken up.”

Boylan credits other survivors with giving her the courage to go public.

“It really took a woman reaching out to me privately who was much younger than myself, Charlotte Bennett, for me to know that I needed to speak up…And I just knew that if I didn’t say something, I could never look at myself in the mirror.”

Today, Boylan has emerged as one of Cuomo’s fiercest critics—and one of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s loudest supporters. She has dedicated her time to canvassing, fundraising, and writing op-eds and giving interviews. “I am doing press hits every week,” she told BreakThrough News.

“It feels incredibly powerful… to be part of defeating Andrew Cuomo again, as someone he harmed. And I feel really good about what it means for other survivors—that we can do this.”

Boylan’s support for the 33-year-old democratic socialist isn’t just about opposition to Cuomo. She also sees a genuine opportunity for progressives in the campaign—and thinks Mamdani “is going to win by a large margin.”

“He’s really going to be successful if he can prove to Albany and to the other leaders that things, the tax increase on the wealthiest New Yorkers, a free bus system, free child care, the housing program he wants — must happen. So he needs a big mandate. I think he can get it, and we are all going to continue fighting.”

At an August fundraiser in the Hamptons, Cuomo told donors that Trump and top Republicans could help steer voters away from GOP nominee Curtis Silwa and toward Cuomo as the only candidate able to block Mamdani.

Boylan says she sees a little difference between Cuomo and President Donald Trump.

“It’s a joke. I mean, they are the same person,” she said. 

“I have said it for years, you could probably find in my tweets years before this that they’re really the same person, Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump…they’re both the same kind of abuser of power, about being willing to manipulate anything to just get more power and control, completely values-free and totally about their own self-actualization. They’re truly the same person.”

She noted the irony in Cuomo presenting himself as the only Democrat strong enough to take on Trump.

“We have learned in the last week or so — you have probably seen in the New York Times and beyond—that he has been saying privately to business leaders that he doesn’t think he will have a problem with Trump.”

At an August fundraiser in the Hamptons, Cuomo told donors that Trump and top Republicans could help steer voters away from GOP nominee Curtis Silwa and toward Cuomo as the only candidate able to block Mamdani, according to audio obtained by Politico.

Roughly 40% of elected officials who publicly condemned Cuomo just four years ago have now chosen to openly support his mayoral bid. 

Liss, too, says she’s “energized and excited” by Mamdani’s primary win. Even as she has tried to move on with her life, Cuomo’s reentry into politics has forced her to confront the past once more.

“I knew that if Andrew Cuomo could come after me in the way that he did through the court system…if he comes back into power, that can only continue or get worse,” Liss said.

“I had been girding myself…for some time, to anticipate that he would try to rise back into power, even up to running against—primarying—the current governor, Kathy Hochul.”

“When the election results came in…I wasn’t directly paying attention that day because I didn’t really want to. But I felt like it was almost a divine power intervening on behalf of not just people like me, but people everywhere—the poor, the families of the elderly that were impacted by his actions around the nursing homes during Covid. The outcome was polar opposite from what I thought it was going to be.”

On July 1, the New York City Board of Elections certified Mamdani as the Democratic nominee for mayor, confirming his victory with 56% of the vote. The 33-year-old democratic socialist from Queens toppled Cuomo’s attempt at a comeback and instantly transformed the mayoral race into a national flashpoint. 

Mamdani will face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, and Cuomo, who opted to remain on the ballot as an independent, in November. 

Yet for Boylan and Liss, the reckoning presented by Cuomo’s run—and his primary loss—aren’t over. Both said they were deeply disappointed with the politicians who formerly called for Cuomo’s resignation, but now support his election bid.

Liss recalled reaching out to powerful women in politics after coming forward, including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “She had reached out in the aftermath of my coming forward…I felt like, here is a very powerful female elected official who is advocating for women, victims, and especially women who speak truth to power. And then you fast forward a few years..she was singing a different tune. It was just disappointing, demoralizing, but not necessarily surprising,” Liss said.

Speaking about Gillibrand, she added, “For someone like that not to take a stand when he decided to run is disgusting…she is truly a coward.”

Boylan, meanwhile, was blunt about the hypocrisy of Cuomo’s allies. 

“They are fake, duplicitous, values-free cowards. They mean nothing they say when they talk about supporting the most vulnerable because otherwise they could never support Andrew Cuomo after knowing exactly what he did to over a dozen women,” she said.

Speaking about Gillibrand, she added, “For someone like that not to take a stand when he decided to run is disgusting…she is truly a coward.”

Cuomo’s campaign has been well-funded, raising roughly $8.3 million, with heavy backing from high-profile figures like Michael Bloomberg. His list of donors and the endorsements include a number of former critics who once called for his resignation, such as Rep. Gregory Meeks and State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. In fact, roughly 40% of elected officials who publicly condemned Cuomo just four years ago have now chosen to openly support his mayoral bid. 

BreakThrough News reached out to Cuomo’s campaign and Sen. Gillibrand’s office for comment. Cuomo’s campaign declined to comment, and Sen. Gillibrand’s office did not reply.

“If survivors have the strength to speak out and demand accountability, not just in the court system but in the political system for someone like Andrew Cuomo, then it’s time for other elected officials to get on board and do the same.”

Despite certain elected officials changing their tune, Cuomo’s political comeback is bringing back a wider conversation about sexual harassment in politics. Erica Vladimer, co-founder of the Sexual Harassment Working Group, an advocacy organization that has been closely involved in discussions around the legal fees former Governor Andrew Cuomo faced over harassment allegations, said the situation clearly shows the persistant challenges women face when speaking out against powerful figures.

“Sexual harassment is the canary in the corruption coal mine. A politician, when anybody in power feels that they are empowered to be able to harass, abuse, and retaliate against their staff, then they are certainly feeling empowered to abuse other aspects of their office and their power,” Vladimer told BreakThrough.

She explained that the work of Harassment Free New York, formerly the Sexual Harassment Working Group, has always focused on holding politicians accountable beyond just the courtroom. 

“During Cuomo’s run, it was important to prioritize getting that reminder out there to voters, to other reporters, and to other candidates—to do a bit more public education around sexual harassment,” Vladimer said.

She said that Mamdani’s primary win signals a shift in voter priorities, showing that many Democratic voters are no longer willing to back politicians tainted by corruption.

“If survivors have the strength to speak out and demand accountability, not just in the court system but in the political system for someone like Andrew Cuomo, then it’s time for other elected officials to get on board and do the same,” she said.

Vladimer also said that Cuomo has used the court system to protect himself, describing it as another tool to silence survivors. 

“It is a bit ironic that certain former government staffers like Lindsey have to shell out millions of dollars to protect themselves in a court case that they’re not even a part of, while Cuomo, because he was legally a government employee, gets his defense paid for,” she said. 

Public records show that New York taxpayers have spent roughly $60 million covering Cuomo’s legal defense, with approximately $18 million allocated to lawsuits related to sexual harassment claims. While state law allows government employees to receive legal representation when defending against official action, critics like Vladimer argue that the scale of spending for a former governor accused of misconduct goes far beyond reasonable bounds. 

“It just shows that the work is not over. We have to make sure the laws on the books and how they are carried through and overseen are much more survivor-centered because many are not.”

Public records show that New York taxpayers have spent roughly $60 million covering Cuomo’s legal defense, with approximately $18 million allocated to lawsuits related to sexual harassment claims.

While advocates like Vladimer keep working to undo the culture of sexual harassment and corruption exemplified by Cuomo, his survivors continue to live with the consequences of speaking out against the governor.

Looking back, Liss says the hardest part wasn’t the harassment itself. It was how her life upended once she spoke out.

“I guess I took it for granted up until that point that everyone around me felt the same way about powerful men acting that way towards young women in a workplace environment,” Liss told BreakThrough News. “People in my professional life and in my personal life took me less seriously and were avoiding me. And it was really hurtful, and I felt silly.”

The stigma seeped into her personal life as well.

“I was dragged on the internet, and there was a troll farm that was very clearly focussed on reviving his [Andrew Cuomo’s] reputation,” she said. “I didn’t think I would have a target on my back.”

Since then, Liss has built what she calls “a new life,” though she still feels the ghost of her past lingering somewhere.

“I needed space to process, to grieve, and to rebuild. My husband and a few close friends were my lifeline. Beyond that, it felt like everyone else had washed their hands of me.”

She got married in 2020, had her first son in early 2022, and a second last fall. 

At work, she now serves as Director of Planning and Development for the Monroe County Executive, guiding businesses through the aftershocks of the pandemic.

“I am happy because I won’t allow him or that experience to subsume my happiness and define me,” she said.“I did what I did. I said what I said. It was true. Never lied to anyone… in hindsight, I would do it all over again. ”

She paused, considering the lessons she’s learned. “If you have a lot to lose, if you have a lot on the line, you’re not necessarily going to want to speak up. But you should speak up. And expect that you will be vilified for it. Expect that as a woman, your femininity is gonna be used against you.”

“I guess I took it for granted up until that point that everyone around me felt the same way about powerful men acting that way towards young women in a workplace environment.”

Other women who came forward against Cuomo in 2021 are also now focused on rebuilding their personal and professional lives. One of them, former aide Brittany Commisso, reached a turning point in July 2025 when she settled her complaint against the state for nearly $450,000. Her attorney called the agreement a “complete vindication” of her allegations. Since then, she has kept a low profile.

Some, like Charlotte Bennett, who worked as a health aide during the pandemic, have taken a different path. She published a memoir and has become an outspoken advocate for survivors, mental health, and accountability in politics. New York State also agreed to pay a settlement in response to Bennett’s lawsuit, which detailed her accusations that Cuomo sexually harassed her while she was employed in his executive office. Since then, she has been critical of Cuomo’s attempts at a political comeback, saying the support he continues to receive from parts of the establishment is a betrayal to women who spoke out.

Boylan, too, now dedicates herself to advocating for survivors, women’s rights, and equality—not just as a policy focus, but as a deeply personal mission. She says her current politics can’t be separated from what she went through. 

“I grew up in a family of women who didn’t have a lot of resources,” she said.“Generations of women in my family lost custody of their kids because of addiction or mental illness. To be the first generation to help break that cycle—and to fight in politics—has been really important to me.”

Her time working under Cuomo—and the backlash that came after she spoke out—showed her that the abuse of power she experienced wasn’t just about one man. It was part of a much bigger problem. 

“We are in a moment in history where oligarchy is more powerful than ever,” she said. “Our wealthiest people are more astronomically wealthy than ever and we need more people who are fighting against really deep rooted corruption.”