Two more former female staffers have come forward to accuse upstate Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak of sexual harassment in the workplace, with one staffer alleging the Democrat tried to kiss her in his apartment before threatening to fire her.
Former communications director Trina Tardone alleges in a notice of claim that the 62-year-old Gabryszak "grabbed her and tried to kiss her" while they were alone together. According to the claim, when the 48-year-old Tardone told him "she would not be alone with him in any situation," she was told "she worked at his pleasure, and that if she didn’t do what he asked, including traveling with him and attending dinners and social events with him, that she would be let go." Tardone also claims she was told she would no longer be reimbursed for her trips to Albany, which was required travel for the position.
A second accuser, Emily Trimper, claims Gabryszak made her uncomfortable in the workplace, hanging up photos of women’s navels in his office, dressing in provocative clothing and "regularly lean[ing] over her...to the point of grossly interfering with her personal space.”
According to the claim, Tardone complained about the Assemblyman to his chief-of-staff, Adam Lochner; he reportedly told her to "just ignore it, that is the way Dennis is." Tardone and Trimper are two of many women who have come forth to accuse the Assemblyman of harassment, including one woman who claims the married Gabryszak sent her a video of him allegedly receiving oral sex. Governor Cuomo has been urging him to resign. "The latest reports of sexual harassment in the Assembly should be the last straw,” Cuomo said in a statement this week. “This pattern of behavior is repugnant by every standard and directly contradicts the policies the Assembly has advanced for the last 20 years.”
