Third Woman Accuses Cuomo Of Sexual Harassment: Report

NEW YORK CITY — Calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation intensified after a third woman came forward accusing him of an unwanted advance — an account she backed up with a photograph showing the governor clutching her face.

The woman — Anna Ruch, 33 — told the New York Times that she met Cuomo at a 2019 wedding where he placed his hand on her lower back.

Ruch told the Times that she immediately took the Cuomo's hand away, prompting the governor to call her "aggressive" and place both of his hands on her cheeks.

“He said, ‘Can I kiss you?’” Ruch said, according to the Times. “I felt so uncomfortable and embarrassed when really he is the one who should have been embarrassed.”

The exchange with Cuomo's hands on Ruch's cheeks was captured in a photo included in the Times story published Monday.

Ruch's account followed two former Cuomo aides — Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett — who accused the governor of sexual harassment.

Cuomo recently tried to stem the growing sexual harassment scandal by claiming his "jokes" had been misinterpreted. But Bennett and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has become increasingly critical of Cuomo, blasted what they deemed a "non-apology" by the governor.

De Blasio, in a series of interviews on Monday, said the sexual harassment accusations against Cuomo and the ongoing controversy over nursing home deaths threaten the governor's ability to govern.

"I don’t see how anyone can function as a governor and have the trust of the people and the respect of the people, if they purposefully covered up the deaths of thousands of our seniors, our elders, family members, beloved family members who are gone," de Blasio told CNN's Jake Tapper. "If you cover that up, or if you did things for reasons that had to do with politics or contributions, and if you've sexually harassed young women in your employment, these are disqualifying realities. How could anyone look the people in the face after that? If these allegations, if these charges are proven, there's just no way he can govern."

For other New York politicians, Ruch's account and photo of it seemed to be the last straw.

"The time has come," Rep. Kathleen Rice, who represents Long Island in Congress, wrote on Twitter. "The Governor must resign."

City Council Member Brad Lander, who represents Park Slope and is running for Comptroller, echoed the call.

Cuomo faces an independent investigation by state Attorney General Letitia James into the sexual harassment claims.

Read the New York Times story here.