As calls grow louder for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign amid accusations of sexual misconduct, advocates for survivors of sexual assault and harassment say victims' voices are getting stronger as well.
"As people see ordinary people coming forward, many of them who thought, 'I can't say this out loud’ will muster up the courage to come forward,'" says Karen Cheeks-Lomax, the head of My Sister's Place - a White Plains-based social services agency that helps men, women and children victimized by sexual harassment and assault.
The potentially renewed sense of empowerment among victims comes on the heels of a criminal complaint against Cuomo by a former executive assistant to the governor, who says he lifted her blouse and groped her last year at the executive mansion.
Identified only as executive assistant No.1, the woman is one of 11 women included in the state attorney general's report which found that the governor sexually harassed current and former state government employees - including a state trooper on his security detail.
Although the investigation is only in its beginning stages, when asked about a possible outcome, the sheriff responded, "Yes, it could lead to an arrest. Would our agency be effecting that arrest? Absolutely."
Earlier this week, Cuomo's attorneys held a news conference of their own, calling the Attorney General's report, "one-sided" and saying the governor was blindsided by the Investigation.
Cuomo, meanwhile, continues to deny any wrongdoing even in the face of calls from Democrats, including President Joe Biden, who want him to step down.