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Washington (CNN) A third woman has accused Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of unwanted advances in 2019, The New York Times reported Monday, adding to an escalating crisis facing the governor in the wake of two sexual harassment allegations.
The woman, Anna Ruch, told the Times that Cuomo approached her during a crowded wedding reception in New York in 2019. Ruch told the newspaper she thanked Cuomo for his toast to the newlyweds, & in response, she says he put his hand on her bare lower back, which the Times said was exposed in an open-back dress.
When Ruch removed his hand, Cuomo allegedly told her she seemed "aggressive" as he put his hands on her cheeks, she recalled to the Times. Cuomo then asked if he could kiss her, Ruch said, & she distanced herself as he came closer.
"I was so confused & shocked and embarrassed," Ruch told the Times. "I turned my head away and didn't have words in that moment."
The newspaper also reported that Ruch says she was later told by a friend that Cuomo had kissed her cheek as she pulled away.
The latest accusation set off another torrent of criticism & new calls for Cuomo to resign, this time from New York Rep. Kathleen Rice, the first Democratic US House member to demand that the governor step down.
Ruch is the first woman to make an accusation against Cuomo who did not work for him. The other two women -- Lindsey Boylan & Charlotte Bennett -- who accused the governor of sexual harassment were both aides in the Cuomo administration.
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