Cuomo apology 'fake' and 'downright weird,' accuser says as Dem faces calls to resign

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Cuomo apology ‘fake’ and ‘downright weird,’ accuser says as Dem faces calls to resign
Charlotte Bennett, one of the women who has accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, called out his response to a new report detailing numerous sexual harassment allegations against him. 

"Publicly, he would rather play dumb. Privately, he knows that he sexually harassed staffers. And I think it’s easier to explain his behavior publicly by saying there was some misunderstanding," Bennett told CBS.

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Bennett was also the subject of Cuomo’s video comment on the report, claiming that her accusations "bothered" him the most. 

"Charlotte, I want you to know that I am truly and deeply sorry," he said. "I brought my personal experience into the workplace and I shouldn’t have done that. I was trying to help."

Bennett previously rejected this apology on Twitter, tweeting out "Resign @NYGovCuomo." 

A long list of Cuomo's fellow Democrats, including President Biden, have also called on Cuomo to step down.

In the CBS interview, Bennett again refused Cuomo's apology.

"Accepting responsibility means stepping down, so I don’t believe him," she said. "I don't want an apology. It's not necessary. It's fake and his propaganda video was not only uncomfortable and inappropriate but downright weird and unnecessary." CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.

In other developments:
- Cuomo sexual harassment investigation: READ THE FULL REPORT
- Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women in violation of state and federal law, NY AG finds
- Biden says Cuomo should resign following damning sexual harassment report
- Cuomo defiantly declines to resign, denies wrongdoing after bombshell sexual harassment report
- Janice Dean calls for Cuomo to be held accountable: I will 'raise my voice until I don't have one anymore'
- Chris Cuomo silent on CNN show as NY AG says brother sexually harassed women, host himself appears in report

AOC-backed Nina Turner concedes defeat in Ohio US House race
Nina Turner, a former Ohio state lawmaker who co-chaired the 2020 presidential run of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, has lost her bid for the Democratic nomination for a U.S. House seat.

In Tuesday’s special election in the state’s 11th Congressional District, Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown was the top vote-getter in the Democratic primary, according to The Associated Press.

Brown had support from more than 50% of voters while Turner drew backing from about 44% and Jeff Johnson just 1.8 percent, according to The New York Times.

Turner, whose supporters also included U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other "Squad" Democrats, conceded defeat shortly after 10 p.m., invoking a quote from the Bible, according to Politico.

"On this night, we will not cross the river," Turner said, according to the outlet.

Brown, Turner and Johnson were looking to succeed former U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Democrat who vacated the 11th district seat to accept a job with the Biden administration. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

In other developments:
- Whitmer fundraising letter warns of 2022 DeVos challenge that doesn’t exist: report
- ADL prez accuses Tlaib of 'antisemitic dog whistling' for remarks ripping those profiting 'behind the curtain'
- Texas Rep. Chip Roy calls for impeachment of President Biden, DHS Secretary Mayorkas
- Two Texas Democrats arrested by Capitol Police in voting rights protest

Gun-owning McCloskeys pardoned after guilty pleas in gun-waving incident
The St. Louis couple who were famously pictured wielding guns as Black Lives Matter demonstrators marched outside their home last year received a pardon from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, his office announced Tuesday. 

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The pardons for Mark and Patricia McCloskey, two attorneys in their 60s, were granted July 30. In total, Parson, a Republican, granted 12 pardons and two commutations.

The McCloskeys pleaded guilty to misdemeanors in connection with the June 2020 incident and were ordered to pay fines.

Mark McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault for threatening the passersby with an AR-15 rifle and was fined $750. Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to harassment and was given a $2,000 fine. They did not lose their law licenses or their firearms. 

"It's a correction of something that should have never happened in the first place," Mark McCloskey told Fox News of the pardons. 

In May, Mark McCloskey announced plans to run for a U.S. Senate seat. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

In other developments:
- Democrat with best shot at winning Missouri's 2022 Senate race not running
- Missouri AG Schmitt spotlights ‘pushback’ against Biden in 2022 Senate GOP primary
- Missouri's Vicky Hartzler jumps into GOP Senate nomination battle in Show Me State
- BLM Rhode Island PAC calls for resignation of Dem strategist who tweeted about Graham

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CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOX NEWS’ CROSSWORD PUZZLE OF THE WEEK 

SOME PARTING WORDS

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Newt Gingrich cautioned Republicans on Tuesday night about supporting the Democrats' infrastructure bill, saying "some of the Republicans tend to take a short-term win and forget the longer game." 

"So they feel good, they feel bipartisan, they’re getting something done," Gingrich said during an appearance on "The Ingraham Angle." But he claimed their thinking was all wrong.

"First of all, they have no idea what’s in the bill," the former House speaker said. "And they have no veto over what’s in the bill. And so, they’re going to get a bill that is dramatically worse than anything they agreed to. They’re going to have no ability to change it. And it’s going to be a disaster."

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