Former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner claimed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) “forcibly” kissed her on the cheek during his time as governor.

Miner recounted the incident to the New York Post while promoting her new book, Madam Mayor. She said it occurred at an event on the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center campus in 2013 when she attended an event promoting a tax incentive program, which she opposed.

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Miner claimed that Cuomo’s team manipulated the situation to make it look like she supported the program, culminating in an unwanted kiss greeting.

“I was being manipulated but had no real choice,” she said. “If I refused, it would cement me as someone who could not work with the most powerful elected official in the state. I felt like a trapped animal, and I knew my face gave away exactly how I was feeling.”

After she saw Cuomo greet former Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney with a kiss at the event, she feared she would be next.

“I thought, what if he tries to kiss me? When Cuomo got to me, he grabbed my hand and, with a big smile on his face, leaned in to kiss me. I instinctively leaned out, feeling myself flush red, and murmured a hello while the cameras snapped,” Miner said.

“Given that he was about six feet tall, and I was five-three, he was able to easily envelop me … To be clear, I was furious about the manipulation and the illusory economic development promises, not the kiss,” she added.

Miner said Cuomo greeted her with a kiss again in 2017 while delivering a regional State of the State policy address in Syracuse.

“As his cameraman furiously clicked away, Cuomo greeted everyone with a hug or a kiss. I was in the middle of the row with multiple people on either side of me. There was no escape. When he got to me, he surrounded me and kissed me,” she said.

“Did I want that?” Miner continued. “No. Was it clear from my body language, my facial expression, and everything he knew about me I did not want that? Yes, which is why he did it: to show his political dominance.”

“With Andrew Cuomo, his kissing me was about power. I never viewed it as sexual. We were gladiators in a public ring, and that’s how he showed he was boss,” Miner suggested.

A statement from Cuomo’s team clarified that the kiss was on the cheek, a customary greeting in many parts of the world. Cuomo campaign spokesman Richard Azzopardi dismissed her concerns as “silly.”

“There’s nothing here to suggest that this was anything other than a peck on the cheek. It’s the customary greeting since the dawn of civilization,” he told the New York Post.

Azzopardi also hit Miner’s credibility and importance.

“Our great city is in crisis, and New Yorkers know Andrew Cuomo is the only person in this race with the experience, leadership, and the proven record to take on the hard issues and make New York a safer and more affordable place for all,” he said.

“New Yorkers aren’t stupid; they have known Andrew Cuomo for decades and are not going to be swayed by a long-since retired upstate mayor who ran against him years ago, lost by 58 points, fell off the face of the Earth and has now resurfaced using his name to try to sell a book,” Azzopardi concluded.

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Cuomo has come under criticism before for alleged inappropriate interactions with women. Sexual misconduct allegations have ranged from inappropriate comments and invasion of personal space to groping. While he denied the allegations, Cuomo was pressured to resign as governor in 2021.

Cuomo announced his political comeback on March 1, launching a bid for mayor of New York City. He is currently leading in the polls.