New York Governor Andrew Cuomo once asked a female reporter, Beth Cefalu, to "eat the whole sausage" on the plate at the New York State Fair that left her embarrassed in front of a room full of reporters. The video of the incident has resurfaced on social media as Cuomo faces mounting sexual misconduct allegations from two female aides.
The video is the latest proof that Cuomo time and again sexually harassed women including his aides, who were left with no choice but to quit their jobs. The allegations of sexual harassment at the same time also highlight entrenched pattern of sexual misconduct by men in powerful positions in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Sexual Predator
A new video has gone viral on social media that shows shows the Democratic governor at the 2016 New York State Fair, challenging NewsChannel 9's Cefalu to eat an entire Gianelli sausage sandwich. "I want to see you eat the whole sausage," Cuomo can be heard telling Cefalu, as his daughter Michaela sits quietly next to him. A now-former aide to Cuomo could be seen handing Cefalu a sandwich.
Cefalu looks a bit embarrassed and replies: "I don't know if I should eat the whole sausage in front of you, but I'm definitely going to eat it." And this was happening in front of a room full of reporters making the situation awkward for Cefalu.
The video then shows Cuomo inviting Cefalu to come and sit at his table. However, before eating, Cefalu tries to take a selfie with Cuomo while holding up her food when the governor once again embarrasses her with his comments. "There's too much sausage in that picture," Cuomo can be heard saying. This time others present at the table break out in laughter. Also others present in the hall can be heard laughing leaving Cefalu red faced.
Below Dignity
Cefalu prefers to remain silent after that. The four-year old now has gone viral and once again shows how most recent allegations against Cuomo follow a years-long pattern of the governor making inappropriate comments. Although Cuomo for the first time on Sunday acknowledged that his behavior with women at times had been "misinterpreted as unwanted flirtation," and that he would cooperate with a sexual harassment investigation, he had earlier denied all such allegations.
The new video resurfaces as Cuomo over the past week was accused of repeated sexual harassment by two of his former aides, Lindsey Boylan, 32, and Charlotte Bennett, 25, during their tenure in the governor's office.
Boylan, a former deputy secretary for economic development and special adviser to the governor, elaborated on the sexual harassment allegations she first made in December. Boylan said Cuomo subjected her to an unwanted kiss and even asked her to play strip poker on a private jet.
Following that, Bennett, a low-level aide in the governor's administration until November, on Saturday told the New York Times, Cuomo asked inappropriate questions about her sex life, including whether she ever had sex with older men.
Cefalu, however, never spoke of the incident but the video shows her in an awkward moment after the provocative comments from Cuomo. Beth Cefalu is an award-winning reporter for News 12 Westchester now having previously worked for NewsChannel 9. She joined the Channel 9 in April 2014. Beth was named Reporter of the Year by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. In 2014, she received the Good News Award for a feature on a girl with a very rare disease.
It now needs to be seen if Cefalu becomes the next one to speak up against Cuomo or someone else makes comes up with yet another set of shocking revelations.
