Disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sparked fresh outrage after being photographed grabbing and forcibly kissing his female defense attorney at his recent mayoral campaign defeat party, reigniting concerns about his pattern of inappropriate behavior toward women.
Viral Photos Expose Continued Pattern
Rita Glavin, the attorney defending Andrew Cuomo against sexual harassment allegations, was captured grimacing as her client grabbed her face and kissed her cheek during his crushing mayoral defeat to Zohran Mamdani last week. The disturbing images gained millions of views online after being shared by a New York Times photographer and Lindsey Boylan, Cuomo’s first harassment accuser. The photos highlight the irony of Cuomo’s continued inappropriate physical conduct with women, even while facing legal consequences for such behavior.
Taxpayer-Funded Defense Creates Conflict
The controversy intensifies given that Glavin has received $5.68 million in taxpayer money to defend Cuomo against claims from 13 women who accused him of sexual harassment since 2021. Boylan’s social media posts criticized this massive taxpayer expenditure, questioning why citizens should fund the defense of a disgraced politician. When contacted by reporters, both Glavin and Cuomo’s spokesman became enraged and verbally aggressive, suggesting their defensive posture reveals awareness of the problematic optics.
This picture is worse than you think. This is Cuomo’s lawyer Rita Glavin who has been paid tens of millions of dollars to smear me & the other women who came forward. She’s led his taxpayer funded litigation abuse of us all.
Here she is at his loser party on election night. https://t.co/Kdxsq8fkCR pic.twitter.com/aDNc9QBcsh
— Lindsey Boylan (@LindseyBoylan) November 8, 2025
Weak Excuses Cannot Justify Behavior
Cuomo’s spokesman attempted damage control by claiming Glavin’s uncomfortable expression resulted from fear of being “mauled by a sea of people” and that the former governor was merely “steadying” her. This explanation falls flat given Cuomo’s documented history of unwanted physical contact with women. The spokesman’s description of a “roving mosh pit” scenario contradicts the clear photos showing Cuomo deliberately grabbing Glavin’s face for the kiss, demonstrating his team’s willingness to fabricate excuses for inexcusable conduct.
Justice Department Confirmed Harassment Pattern
The 2021 resignation followed a Justice Department investigation that found Cuomo’s conduct “especially egregious because of the stark power differential involved.” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke noted victims lacked proper avenues to report harassment under Cuomo’s administration. His first accuser, Lindsey Boylan, alleged Cuomo kissed her without warning in 2018 and propositioned her for strip poker. Despite vehement denials, Cuomo stepped down rather than face impeachment, claiming he wanted the state to focus on pandemic response instead of his scandals.
Pictured in this photo w/Cuomo is Rita Glavin. She has been the former governor's main lawyer and defended him in a number of lawsuits relating to allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment, which he broadly denies. https://t.co/FjMGiVbXq3 https://t.co/qdwAwKV5jp
— Ben Oreskes (@boreskes) November 12, 2025