The New York Governor has said he is “so sorry” for making women uncomfortable but denied touching anyone inappropriately.
Three women have recently come forward with accusations of sexual harassment against Democrat Andrew Cuomo.
In his first public comments on the allegations, Mr Cuomo said he felt “embarrassed” that his actions made the women feel uncomfortable at work.
Mr Cuomo asked the public to wait for the “facts” before drawing conclusions.
The New York attorney general has opened an investigation into the allegations and will file a report on the findings.
The governor said he would not resign, despite calls from within his own party for him to step down.
What is Cuomo accused of?
A former top-level aide to Mr Cuomo, Lindsey Boylan, claimed the governor touched her without consent and frequently made inappropriate comments about her appearance.
In an essay published last month, Ms Boylan accused Mr Cuomo of kissing her on the lips and asking her to play strip poker while on his private jet.
A second former aide, Charlotte Bennett, told the New York Times that the governor peppered her with personal questions that were clear overtures to a sexual relationship.
“I understood the governor wanted to sleep with me,” she said.
In a statement following Mr Cuomo’s press conference, Ms Bennett’s lawyer described the governor’s statement as “full of falsehoods and inaccurate information”.
Debra Katz disputed Mr Cuomo’s claim that he was unaware he had made any of the women uncomfortable, saying Ms Bennett reported the “sexually harassing behaviour immediately” to the governor’s chief of staff and chief counsel. “We are confident that they made him aware of her complaint”, Ms Katz said.
A third woman, photographer Anna Ruch, said the politician touched her face and asked to kiss her at a wedding. The exchange was captured on camera.
