The Cuomo sexual harassment claims appear to follow a disturbing pattern | Moira Donegan

Cuomo casts himself as merely clumsy - but the allegations seem to be an extension of bullying behavior designed to exert power and control

On Saturday, a second former staffer accused the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, of sexual harassment. Charlotte Bennett was 24 when she began working for the governor in the entry-level position of briefer, which required her to have close daily contact with Cuomo. In a series of interviews with the New York Times, Bennett described a pattern of overtures from the governor that progressed from overly familiar, to inappropriate, to aggressively suggestive. He asked her whether she practiced monogamy and if she ever slept with older men (Cuomo is 63). After learning in 2020 that Bennett's 25th birthday was coming up, Cuomo offered that he was open to sexual relationships with women over the age of 22. The implications were not ambiguous. I understand that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared," Bennett told the Times. And was wondering how to get out of it and assumed it was the end of my job."

Related: New York attorney general seeks to investigate Cuomo sexual harassment claims