Cuomo Accuser: ‘He Propositioned Me’ for ‘Sex,’ ‘He Felt Like He Was Untouchable’

O DONNELL Good evening ░░░░░░░░ thank you for joining ░░░░░░░░ There are a lot ░░░░░░░░ headlines as we come ░░░░░░░░ the air including new ░░░░░░░░ tonight over states loosening ░░░░░░░░ restrictions And we ll ░░░░░░░░ to that in just ░░░░░░░░ moment but we re ░░░░░░░░ to begin with breaking ░░░░░░░░ because for the first ░░░░░░░░ tonight one of the ░░░░░░░░ accusing New York governor ░░░░░░░░ Cuomo is speaking out ░░░░░░░░ CBS News on camera ░░░░░░░░ what she says was ░░░░░░░░ sexual harassment by the ░░░░░░░░ Democrat and head of ░░░░░░░░ National Governors Association Cuomo ░░░░░░░░ former executive assistant Charlotte ░░░░░░░░ says the governor asked ░░░░░░░░ intimate and inappropriate questions ░░░░░░░░ her personal life all ░░░░░░░░ says in an attempt ░░░░░░░░ sleep with her The ░░░░░░░░ who became an international ░░░░░░░░ for his handling of ░░░░░░░░ early days of the ░░░░░░░░ in New York is ░░░░░░░░ facing allegations that his ░░░░░░░░ covered up Covid deaths ░░░░░░░░ nursing homes along with ░░░░░░░░ from three women that ░░░░░░░░ sexually harassed them On ░░░░░░░░ Cuomo publicly apologized saying ░░░░░░░░ was sorry if he ░░░░░░░░ in a way that ░░░░░░░░ anyone feel uncomfortable But ░░░░░░░░ you will hear tonight ░░░░░░░░ Bennett says that apology ░░░░░░░░ not go far enough ░░░░░░░░ him a text book ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts O DONNELL ░░░░░░░░ Cuomo said that he ░░░░░░░░ never propositioned anybody Do ░░░░░░░░ believe that he was ░░░░░░░░ you Bennett Yeah O ░░░░░░░░ For what Bennett Sex ░░░░░░░░ DONNELL voice over In ░░░░░░░░ spring of 2020 New ░░░░░░░░ was the epicenter of ░░░░░░░░ Covid crisis Bennett The ░░░░░░░░ was obviously stressful for ░░░░░░░░ of us and he ░░░░░░░░ on TV nearly every ░░░░░░░░ talking about it O ░░░░░░░░ So you think all ░░░░░░░░ national attention may have ░░░░░░░░ him Bennett Absolutely I ░░░░░░░░ he felt like he ░░░░░░░░ untouchable in a lot ░░░░░░░░ ways O DONNELL voice ░░░░░░░░ Bennett says their professional ░░░░░░░░ took a turn on ░░░░░░░░ 15th when she alleges ░░░░░░░░ Governor started asking her ░░░░░░░░ her love life and ░░░░░░░░ became fixated repeating over ░░░░░░░░ over again her history ░░░░░░░░ a sexual assault survivor ░░░░░░░░ So he goes You ░░░░░░░░ raped You were raped ░░░░░░░░ were raped and abused ░░░░░░░░ assaulted O DONNELL voice ░░░░░░░░ Another key encounter happened ░░░░░░░░ June 5th when Bennett ░░░░░░░░ she was called into ░░░░░░░░ s office to take ░░░░░░░░ and he told her ░░░░░░░░ turn off the tape ░░░░░░░░ Bennett And then he ░░░░░░░░ at that point that ░░░░░░░░ is looking for a ░░░░░░░░ he is lonely he ░░░░░░░░ tired O DONNELL You ░░░░░░░░ just finished dictation and ░░░░░░░░ Governor is telling you ░░░░░░░░ s lonely and looking ░░░░░░░░ a relationship Bennett Yes ░░░░░░░░ asked if I had ░░░░░░░░ enjoying being with someone ░░░░░░░░ of my drama O ░░░░░░░░ This seems highly inappropriate ░░░░░░░░ Yeah The Governor asked ░░░░░░░░ if I was sensitive ░░░░░░░░ intimacy O DONNELL In ░░░░░░░░ office Bennett Yes During ░░░░░░░░ work day O DONNELL ░░░░░░░░ have been quoted as ░░░░░░░░ that he also asked ░░░░░░░░ about if you had ░░░░░░░░ been with an older ░░░░░░░░ Bennett Yeah He asked ░░░░░░░░ if age difference mattered ░░░░░░░░ also explained that he ░░░░░░░░ fine with anyone over ░░░░░░░░ O DONNELL And how ░░░░░░░░ are you Bennett 25 ░░░░░░░░ DONNELL What were you ░░░░░░░░ as he is asking ░░░░░░░░ these questions Bennett I ░░░░░░░░ he s trying to ░░░░░░░░ with me The Governor ░░░░░░░░ trying to sleep with ░░░░░░░░ And I am deeply ░░░░░░░░ and I have to ░░░░░░░░ out of this room ░░░░░░░░ soon as possible O ░░░░░░░░ And to be clear ░░░░░░░░ made you think that ░░░░░░░░ was trying to sleep ░░░░░░░░ you Bennett Without explicitly ░░░░░░░░ it he implied to ░░░░░░░░ that I was old ░░░░░░░░ for him and he ░░░░░░░░ lonely O DONNELL voice ░░░░░░░░ Text messages sent by ░░░░░░░░ to a friend and ░░░░░░░░ by CBS News memorialize ░░░░░░░░ encounter with Cuomo immediately ░░░░░░░░ Bennett tells her friend ░░░░░░░░ Governor quote talked about ░░░░░░░░ differences in relationships The ░░░░░░░░ who verified the messages ░░░░░░░░ Wait what Did he ░░░░░░░░ something Bennett responds No ░░░░░░░░ it was like the ░░░░░░░░ explicit it could be ░░░░░░░░ DONNELL How did you ░░░░░░░░ to those questions Bennett ░░░░░░░░ responded honestly And when ░░░░░░░░ was even thinking of ░░░░░░░░ forward I think that ░░░░░░░░ where I held the ░░░░░░░░ shame and that like ░░░░░░░░ really was uncomfortable O ░░░░░░░░ Why did you feel ░░░░░░░░ Bennett I feel like ░░░░░░░░ put the onus on ░░░░░░░░ woman to shut that ░░░░░░░░ down And by answering ░░░░░░░░ was somehow engaging in ░░░░░░░░ or enabling it when ░░░░░░░░ fact I was just ░░░░░░░░ O DONNELL People will ░░░░░░░░ this and say Why ░░░░░░░░ t you get up ░░░░░░░░ leave Bennett I didn ░░░░░░░░ feel like I had ░░░░░░░░ choice O DONNELL He ░░░░░░░░ your boss Bennett He ░░░░░░░░ my boss He s ░░░░░░░░ s boss O DONNELL ░░░░░░░░ Cuomo said in a ░░░░░░░░ that what he said ░░░░░░░░ have quote been misinterpreted ░░░░░░░░ you misinterpret him Bennett ░░░░░░░░ I understood him loud ░░░░░░░░ clear It just didn ░░░░░░░░ go the way he ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts Cuomo I ░░░░░░░░ knew at the time ░░░░░░░░ was making anyone feel ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends O DONNELL ░░░░░░░░ you watch Gov Cuomo ░░░░░░░░ apology Bennett I did ░░░░░░░░ s not an apology ░░░░░░░░ is not an issue ░░░░░░░░ my feelings It is ░░░░░░░░ issue of his actions ░░░░░░░░ fact is that he ░░░░░░░░ sexually harassing me and ░░░░░░░░ has not apologized for ░░░░░░░░ harassing me and he ░░░░░░░░ t even use my ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends O DONNELL ░░░░░░░░ we reached out to ░░░░░░░░ Cuomo s office to ░░░░░░░░ to Charlotte Bennett s ░░░░░░░░ They directed us to ░░░░░░░░ Governor s apology yesterday ░░░░░░░░ asked people to wait ░░░░░░░░ results of the state ░░░░░░░░ general s investigation And ░░░░░░░░ is more news from ░░░░░░░░ interview with Charlotte that ░░░░░░░░ be tomorrow on CBS ░░░░░░░░ Morning and there will ░░░░░░░░ more news right here ░░░░░░░░ on the CBS Evening ░░░░░░░░