'We've had an abuser as governor,' says Lindsey Boylan as she runs for Manhattan Borough President

NEW YORK - Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to publicly accuse Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, wants to be the next Manhattan Borough President.

The wife and mother told FOX 5 NY morning program, ‘Good Day New York,’ that she needed to come forward despite the fallout that was likely to occur and the potential ‘political suicide.’ 

"I knew I had to do this because I was raised by people who taught me that ethics matter more than anything," said Boylan. "When a younger woman confided in me that she had had the very same experience that I had had, I knew I had to do something."

Boylan, a career urban planner, worked for the Cuomo administration from March 2015 to October 2018. She recounted her story of sexual harassment in a series of Twitter posts.

In a published interview, Boylan said Cuomo once suggested a game of strip poker and on another occasion kissed her without her consent.

"We've had an abuser as governor," said Boylan.

Cuomo has denied the allegations and that of several other women.

When asked if accusing Cuomo was a political tactic to garner attention among a crowded field of candidates, Boylan said it was not.

"I ran for office a year before this and this was never a factor in the conversation. This is an incredibly difficult experience. It has been the most difficult period of my life. I am a different version of myself now. And having been through this, I can't imagine why anyone would put themselves or their families or their friendships through this process. It has in no way been a fun experience."

The Primary Election is June 22, 2021, and the General Election is November 2, 2021.