The wife of leading New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang expressed support Wednesday for a woman who came forward to accuse one of her husband’s rivals of sexual harassment two decades ago.
“When a survivor speaks publicly about their experiences, they put everything at risk. Whether you tell the world, tell one person you trust, or tell no one at all, your experience matters. The truth matters,” tweeted Evelyn Yang, who revealed last year she was sexually assaulted by her obstetrician-gynecologist.
“No amount of gaslighting can take that away,” she wrote.
Mrs. Yang’s comments came as several of Stringer’s top rivals in the Democratic mayoral primary — including her husband — offered their support and sympathies to accuser Jeanne Kim — as top female candidates blasted Stringer’s alleged behavior.
“It’s never easy to tell your story when it’s this kind of experience. I know from supporting my wife, Evelyn,” Andrew Yang, who leads the polling in the race, briefly referenced the allegations at the beginning of an already-scheduled speech about housing to the New York Law School. “Thank you, Jean, for your courage today.”
The allegations brought a far more pointed response from two of the leading women candidates in the race as both former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia and Maya Wiley, a former top advisor to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“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,” said Garcia in a statement, who called on Stringer to leave the race.
“New Yorkers need and deserve a mayor they can trust, who demonstrates steady, competent, and capable leadership,” she added. “It is clear that Scott Stringer is not that person and that we need more women in leadership and elected office.”
Wiley called the allegations “truly disturbing” and referenced Stringer’s own calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign after he was repeatedly accused of sexually harassing staffers in Albany.
“It feels like every month, we’ve got another elected official going to jail, being accused of harassment or abusing the public’s trust,” Wiley added. “It’s no wonder people lose trust in government when government looks like this.
Another top rival in the Democratic primary, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, called the allegations “deeply troubling,” but did not call for Stringer to bow out of the race.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer — who, like Stringer, is a mainstay of Upper West Side Democratic politics — offered tepid remarks backing the embattled comptroller.
“I’ve know Scott Stringer since he was 14. I didn’t see that in him. I’ve never seen anything close to this. Women have a right to come forward,” she told The Post, noting that she has not yet endorsed in the race.
Credit: NYPOST
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