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Andrew Cuomo, boasting about his physical prowess and stamina, said he wanted a new galpal “who was fit and could keep up with him” following his break-up with longtime partner Sandra Lee, new documents reveal of the disgraced ex-governor.
A confidante to Cuomo told investigators in the sexual harassment probe that forced the three-term Democrat from office that such talk was not unusual between the state’s chief executive and his top staffers.
Cuomo adviser and lawyer Steve Cohen also said Cuomo would privately crack sexual jokes — such as questioning his masculinity — and flirted with guests at campaign fundraisers, according to his extensive 400 pages of testimony with probers hired by Attorney General Letitia James at Cuomo’s behest.
In addition, Cohen admitted to hearing rumors that Cuomo had romantic relationships with top staffers, including allegations of an affair with Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, though he treated the talk as false or unproven gossip. Cuomo and DeRosa denied any dalliance.
Cohen also said he had a number of personal conversations with younger brother CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, who expressed frustration that the governor’s team was not aggressively fighting the allegations against him.
Chris Cuomo is now on thin ice with CNN after a devastating trove of documents released by James’ office revealed his extensive role in strategizing with Cuomo’s top advisers as well as his brother in attempting damage control amid the pile-up of harassment accusations.
“There were probably a half dozen calls where I spoke to Chris one-on-one,” said Cohen, who in the 1980s worked for Andrew and Chris’ father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, and served as Andrew’s chief of staff when he was state attorney general and the top aide to the governor during his first term.
“But again, if you came and told me it’s 15, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
“He [Chris Cuomo] was concerned about the response of not being aggressive enough. He was concerned that we had the right lawyers on the case. He was concerned that at one point the governor hadn’t faced the press, and Chris thought that he needed to,” Cohen said.
“He was concerned that the governor’s office or the lawyers weren’t putting out an explanation or a narrative that told the governor’s story. I mean, that was the gist of the conversations with Chris.”
As for Cuomo’s love life, Cohen revealed that the governor longed for a new companion following his split with blonde Food Network star Lee in 2019.
Asked if Cuomo talked to people about finding a new girlfriend, Cohen said, “When he broke up with Sandra Lee, he had a conversation with me about it. He told me he’s now available. He said he was now looking for — you know, to date again.”
Asked to describe the type of woman Cuomo wanted, Cohen said, “I think he gave me general — a general notion of height, and that he was looking for somebody who was fit and who could keep up with him. I think that may have been the phrase.”
Cohen also disclosed that Cuomo teased him that he was literally losing his, uh, prowess down under when asked whether the then-governor asked about people’s sex lives.
“Not directly. But the governor has certainly made a joke with me when I’ve seen him from time to time about that as I age — he’s constantly claiming that I’m older than he is, which is not the case — but that my testosterone level has dropped, which explains why I am, you know, in his view, less alert and aggressive than I once was,” Cohen said, according to the 400-page transcript.
“You know, testosterone level seems to be linked to sex drive, but those are the kind of conversations I’ve had with him.”
Cohen also said Cuomo was flirtatious at fundraisers.
“I’ve seen it mostly — and again, the context and to my characterization of flirting — at fundraisers. That would be the place in which, in the last 10 years, there would be an opportunity. And it would be, you know, would be where something like that could happen,” Cohen said.
What kind of flirting? he was asked.
“You know, it’s one of those things that’s hard to characterize. It’s flirting. You know, it’s, you know, a pleasant conversation. You know, nothing particularly suggestive but, you know, I’d characterize it as flirting.”
Cohen said he was “not aware” of Cuomo having a romantic relationship with any staffers — but admitted being aware of hot rumors to that effect.
“There was a rumor for a while that he was involved with [senior staffer #1],” he said, which The Post has confirmed was his then top aide Melissa DeRosa.
“There had been a rumor about him and [senior staffer #2]. There was a rumor about. I think [name redacted]– there may have been others. Those are the ones that I remember.”
Cuomo resigned on Aug. 24 under the threat of impeachment after James’ devastating investigative report concluded he mistreated 11 women and harassed several staffers including a state trooper on his security detail.
Cuomo denied wrongdoing despite stepping down.
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