The Democratic governor is already accused of sexual harassment by two women and a third against him.
CNN reached out to Liss for comment.
“I have never touched anyone improperly. I have never touched anyone improperly,” Cuomo said in his first public remarks on the scandal. “I never knew at the time that I was making anyone feel uncomfortable. I never knew I was making anyone feel uncomfortable.”
Cuomo said during an appearance on Wednesday that he was learning from his behavior.
“I understand that sensitivity has changed, and that behavior has changed, and I get it. And I’m going to learn from it,” he said.
According to Journal, from 2013 to 2015, Liss served as policy and operational assistant for Cuomo.
Liss initially thought of Cuomo’s actions as ‘harmless flirtations’, but she described them as ‘patronizing’, according to the Journal.
“It is in no way suitable,” she told the Journal.
Such an incident occurred when, according to the Journal, Liss was working at a reception at the Executive Mansion in Albany, New York, on May 6, 2014.
“He came to me and he was like, ‘Hey, honey! ” Liss said.
She told the Journal that the ‘governor hugged her, kissed her on both cheeks and then wrapped his arm around her lower back and grabbed her waist.’
A photo shown by the Journal shows Cuomo’s hand around Liss’ waist.
In response to Liss’ allegations, Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s senior adviser, told CNN in a statement: “Reporters and photographers have been covering the governor for 14 years as he kisses men and women and poses for photos. “At the public open-house mansion reception, there are hundreds of people, and he poses for hundreds of photos. That’s what people do in politics.”
Liss said she never filed a formal complaint about the governor’s actions, but later asked that it be transferred to another office. According to Liss, the experience led her to seek mental health advice in 2014.