UPDATED: 28 APR 2021 04:35 PM EST
NEW YORK — A lobbyist accused mayoral candidate Scott Stringer of sexual harassment and assault when she worked on his 2001 public advocate campaign, during a press conference in Manhattan Wednesday — allegations Stringer denied later in the day.
Jean Kim, accompanied by her attorney Patricia Pastor, referred to herself as an intern at the time and said Stringer repeatedly groped and kissed her, urged her not to tell anyone and promised he would make her a district leader. Kim called on Stringer to resign from his current position as city comptroller and withdraw from the mayor’s race. Stringer is a leading candidate in the Democratic primary and has touted support from progressive female lawmakers who have made sexual harassment a key part of their agenda.
“I have tried my best to put this chapter of my life behind me,” Kim said. “I’m coming forward now because being forced to see him in my living room, TV, everyday, pretending to be a champion for women’s rights, just sickens me, and I know the truth.”
Kim and her lawyer are calling on the Attorney General’s office or the city Department of Investigation to probe the allegations.
Stringer appeared with his wife Elyse Buxbaum during a press conference later in the day saying he had a consensual relationship with Kim before he was married and denied the allegations.
“This isn’t me. I didn’t do this," he said. "I am going to fight for the truth because these allegations are false.”
Former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman — who himself resigned amid accusations of sexual abuse and harassment — introduced Kim to Stringer in 2001, Pastor said. Kim said Stringer, who was then an Assemblymember, offered her an unpaid internship working on his unsuccessful public advocate campaign that year.
“She attended endorsements, campaign events and dinners with Stringer as his campaign intern,” Pastor told reporters. “On several occasions … when Jean found herself alone with Stringer in a cab traveling to or from a political event, he put his hands on her thigh and between her legs, causing her to pull away.”
“Why won’t you f--- me? Why won’t you f--- me?” Stringer allegedly said when she refused his advances.
Pastor said Stringer and Kim did not have a consensual sexual relationship when asked by reporters. Now in her 40s, Kim, who did not speak at length during the press conference, mostly nodding along as her attorney detailed the allegations.
Stringer said Kim was not an intern, but a friend and supporter who volunteered on the 2001 campaign.
“She was a peer. She was not, absolutely not, an intern on the campaign. Our internship program was made up of college students. She was not part of that," Stringer said. "Jean was, as I recall, employed at the time as a publicist. She was an active supporter of the campaign. She has never worked for me in any capacity. ... For a several-month period around the time of the campaign, we had an on-and-off relationship over a few months. She was 30, I was 41. This relationship started and ended before I met my wife Elyse. I believe it was a mutual, consensual relationship. I never used any force, made any threats, or did any of the things that are alleged."
Stringer said the two had an "amicable" relationship "until 2013 when we could not find her a role on my campaign for comptroller."
Buxbaum defended her husband, saying she would walk away from him if "even a fraction" of the accusations were true.
“Like so many women, I was a survivor of sexual abuse. As a teenager, and then a few years later, I was violated in ways that impacted me physically and emotionally. One of those was my ability to trust. Then I met Scott," she said amid tearful remarks. “My entire life I have never met a man more respectful of women, more committed to women’s rights. I still haven’t. From Day One, Scott has been a champion of women and a champion of me.”
Pastor said Kim was extremely uncomfortable with and offended by Stringer's conduct and feared retaliation, due to his connections in New York City. Stringer is a career politician from a political family. Kim worked on former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's comptroller campaign against Stringer in 2013. Spitzer, too, was forced to resign as governor amid his own sex scandal. Campaign finance records show Kim donated to Stringer's campaigns several times between 2001 and 2010. Kim's attorney declined to offer immediate comment on the donations when asked.
“Men who sexually abuse or harass women are not women’s advocates, no matter how many bills they pass, how many reforms they pursue or how many times they call themselves a feminist,” Pastor said.
The accusations come as the Democratic primary for mayor has entered its final two months.
Stringer has highlighted his support in the race from progressive women lawmakers such as state Sens. Alessandra Biaggi, Julia Salazar and Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou — all of whom are survivors themselves and have been vocal advocates for women coming forward. They have also been among Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s harshest critics as he faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
"As survivors of childhood sexual assault, we believe survivors,” the three lawmakers said in a joint statement. “Our commitment to a harassment free government, workplace, and society is steadfast, and our zero tolerance standard regarding sexual assault applies to abusers like Andrew Cuomo, if not more so, to our friends. This standard also applies to everyone who participates in the normalization or erasure of abuse.”
The statement does not specifically indicate if they plan to withdraw their support from Stringer’s mayoral campaign. Calls to the three as well state Sen. Jessica Ramos, also an early Stringer supporter, were not immediately returned. Stringer called on Cuomo to resign in March as the governor faced mounting harassment accusations of his own.
Rival mayoral candidate Dianne Morales issued a statement supporting Kim Wednesday morning.
“I’m not focused on Scott Stringer. I’m focused on the woman of color who has to endure public scrutiny as she speaks her truth about the harm she’s experienced. I have been consistent that we need to believe survivors, and that doesn’t change today,” Morales said. “I thank Jean for bravery in speaking out and coming forward. And I offer compassion to her for what she has endured, and what is yet to come. I stand with her, and her demands for justice."
Kathryn Garcia, another primary candidate, called on Stringer to drop out.
“It takes tremendous courage for anyone to come forward. I support Jean Kim, I believe Jean Kim, and I commend her bravery for speaking truth to power,” Garcia said in a statement. “Scott Stringer should stand by his own policy of zero tolerance for sexual harassment and drop out of the mayoral race. New Yorkers need and deserve a mayor they can trust, who demonstrates steady, competent, and capable leadership. It is clear that Scott Stringer is not that person and that we need more women in leadership and elected office.”
Maya Wiley, who hosted a lengthy press conference attacking fellow mayoral candidate Andrew Yang for appearing in a video where he laughed when asked if he “choked b---es,” also excoriated Stringer, though she stopped short of calling on him to quit the race or resign.
"Scott Stringer must immediately account for this abuse of a campaign intern, including the unwanted advances and the dangling of jobs," she said in a statement issued by her campaign. "The behavior, as Kim describes it, is a sexual assault, as well as sexual harassment. Furthermore, she says that she was driven to silence from telling her story. That is an act we’ve seen far too often: men who use positions of power over women to intimidate them. Then, after the abuse happens, they warn them to not tell anyone about it. ... The people of New York just deserve better than this."
Stringer said he has no intentions of resigning or dropping out of the race.
"I understand how painful it is to hear these allegations, but I urge everyone, including my supporters, to treat Ms. Kim respectfully and courteously," he said.
Sally Goldenberg contributed to this report.
