BREAKING: Reporter Says Gov. Cuomo Made Her ‘Uncomfortable’ With Unwanted And Inappropriate Flirting, Special Access

OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.

Valerie Bauman shared that Gov. Andrew Cuomo made her feel “uncomfortable” with inappropriate flirting and special access, according to Fox News.

Bauman described “a period marked by rampant sexism and sexual harassment.”

“I have decided to share my experience to shine a light on the broader culture of sexual harassment and devaluation of women’s voices in Albany. Perhaps things have changed in the past decade, but I suspect not enough,” Bauman wrote.

“To be clear: Andrew Cuomo never touched me inappropriately or said anything that I felt I could report to my boss. He did make me uncomfortable, as did a lot of men in Albany,” Bauman continued. “My greatest hesitation about speaking on this matter was that my story would be interpreted as putting certain problematic behavior on par with more severe cases.”

She is speaking out because “there is room to talk about any situation where a professional is treated differently because of their gender, race, sexuality or gender identity” in the current climate.

Cuomo made “unwavering eye contact” with her during a press conference.

“Actually starring to the point that I started blushing and looking around at people surrounding me, whose own facial expressions indicated, ‘Yes, ma’am, he’s looking at you,’” Bauman wrote.

“He took my hand, entered my personal space and looked into my eyes as he announced, ‘Hello, I’m Andrew Cuomo,’” Bauman wrote. “Afterward, a fellow reporter loudly observed that Andrew Cuomo seemed very into me. I was embarrassed, but least is wasn’t my imagination, I thought.”

“Soon after that, I started to get an unusual level of access to the attorney general. Cuomo’s office had a reputation in the press corps for ignoring requests and being very controlling about the public narrative around the attorney general. Yet, when I would call with simple question that and aide could easily answer, Andrew Cuomo would sometimes pick up the phone himself,” she wrote.

“He would greet me in a booming voice, repeating my name frequently.”

“It felt like he was flirting with me, and I think that’s because he was.”

“It was embarrassing and uncomfortable, but I did my best to do the job without giving him any indication I was flirting back,” she wrote.

“The calls eventually dwindled and stopped altogether. So that’s it. That is my whole story of covering Andrew Cuomo.”

More from Fox News:

Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Cuomo has been accused by various levels of harassment and misconduct by at least seven women. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, including both New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, have called on him to resign, but he has said he will not step down.

He is also embroiled by a separate scandal: his administration’s cover-up of coronavirus nursing home deaths in the state.