The woman who has accused mayoral candidate and current city Comptroller Scott Stringer of groping her multiple times when she interned for him spoke publicly Wednesday, claiming Stringer “inappropriately and relentlessly pursued a sexual relationship” with her and asked her more than once, “Why won’t you f—k me?”
Jean Kim, speaking alongside her lawyer outside the comptroller’s office near City Hall, claimed that Stringer preyed on her in 2001 while she was working as an unpaid intern on his campaign for public advocate.
“One evening, shortly before the primary, I was talking to Stringer about the primary when without warning, and without my consent, he kissed me using his tongue, put his hand down my pants and groped me inside my underpants,” Kim claimed.
“I pulled away and tried to avoid him. He warned me not to tell anyone about it,” she said.
Kim, who said she was initially introduced to Stringer by disgraced ex-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and then joined the Community Free Democratic Club headed by Stringer, explained that after the alleged incident, she “avoided” Stringer for “several days.”
“When I saw him next, he said to me, ‘I can make you the first Asian District Leader on the Upper West Side,’” Kim alleged. “When I asked what steps I would need to take, he responded, ‘You would have to prove yourself to me.’”
Kim, who is in her 40s, continued, “When we were traveling together in taxis to and from campaign events, he repeatedly put his hands on my thighs and between my legs. He asked me on more than one occasion, ‘Why won’t you f—k me?’”
Kim, a freelance lobbyist who has previously worked as a political consultant, including for scandal-scarred former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, added, “I became more and more uncomfortable with his advances, and ultimately I moved across town to the East Side.”
“I have tried my best to put this chapter of my life behind me, and forget about it all and move forward with my life, but I am coming forward now because being forced to see [Stringer] in my living room TV every day, pretending to be a champion for women’s rights, just sickens me when I know the truth.”
Kim called on Stringer to “resign” from his comptroller post, and “withdraw” from the mayoral campaign “immediately.”
She claimed she never spoke out before because “I was fearful of his vindictive nature and that he would retaliate against me and destroy my career in politics.”
Kim’s lawyer, Patricia Pastor, said her client was pushed to come forward when she saw Stringer call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign over the slew of sexual harassment claims against him.
Stringer, who is considered a leading candidate in the Democratic primary for mayor, issued a statement Tuesday night denying the allegation.
“For now, let me say without equivocation: these allegations are untrue and do not reflect my interactions with anyone, including any woman or member of my staff,” Stringer said in the statement.
When asked again for comment Wednesday, Stringer’s campaign referred The Post to Tuesday’s statement.
Additional reporting by Carl Campanile
Credit: NYPOST
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