Biden Says Accuser Shouldn't Be 'Scapegoated' But Cuomo Allies Tried To Do Precisely That

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign if the investigation confirms the allegations of sexual harassment against him.

"I think he'll probably end up being prosecuted, too," Biden told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, adding "a woman should be presumed telling the truth and should not be scapegoated and become victimized by her coming forward."

"Takes a lot of courage to come forward," he said. "So, the presumption is they should be taken seriously. And it should be investigated. And that's what's underway now," added Biden.

Biden's strong stance may stand vindicated, but Cuomo allies aren't exactly following that. A report by The New York Times (paywall) says allies of the governor tried to weaken the credibility of Lindsey Boylan, a former aide who is also the first woman to raise sexual harassment charges against Cuomo.

People tied to Cuomo allegedly tried to get former staffers, especially women, to sign on to the open letter, which said Boylan's allegations were politically motivated.

The report, quoting three people with direct knowledge of the events, said Cuomo aides tried to link Boylan to former President Donald Trump's followers.

"Weaponizing a claim of sexual harassment for personal political gain or to achieve notoriety cannot be tolerated,” the letter reportedly stated. “False claims demean the veracity of credible claims.”

The report adds Cuomo was involved in creating the letter and at least one draft was sent to a group of former advisors, from where it was circulated to current and former top aides to the governor. But, it was never released publicly.

When asked about the letter, Richard Azzopardi, senior advisor to Cuomo, told The New York Times that the administration had no comment on the letter, citing the ongoing investigations.

Boylan first tweeted about the harassment in December and later in February in a Medium post. She alleged Cuomo would go “out of his way” to touch her lower back, arms, and legs. Boylan is currently running for the presidency of the Manhattan borough in New York City.

While Biden had earlier said "the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us", Vice-President Kamala Harris has so far opted not to respond to the issue. Although she spoke at a U.N. event on the Commission on the Status of Women, Harris didn't broach the topic. A Fox News report said Harris also ignored a question last Wednesday from a reporter who asked: "Madame Vice President, do you have any comment on Gov. Cuomo?" Harris walked out of the briefing room without responding to the question.

Interestingly, Harris had famously opposed Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination in 2018 when allegations of sexual misconduct were raised against him. Reiterating that she believed the victim, Harris said, "She's doing it, I believe, because she knows that this is an important matter. It's a serious matter. And she has the courage to come forward. She has nothing to gain."

Similarly, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who claims to have "no tolerance for sexual harassment," too insisted on waiting to see the results of the investigation led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Seven women, including Boylan, have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment and unwanted advances, but the governor, who apologized for "making anyone feel uncomfortable," has denied the charges. He has also refused to heed the call to step down.