Karen Hinton, former press secretary for Andrew Cuomo, discusses her book, “Penis Politics,” which tackles head-on how men abuse power that all too many girls and women have faced.
Hinton was one of the women who came forward and accused Cuomo of harassment. She explained why on “Real News with Rick Outzen” on 1370 WCOA – and now 104.9 FM.
“What led me to speak up was an interview that Charlotte Bennett, one of the 11 who have accused him of sexual harassment,” said Hinton. “She spoke on CBS Nightly News, and I sat there and listened to her every word. And I knew she’s telling the truth because of my own experiences with him.”
She continued, “He was much more aggressive and deliberate and pinpointed, much more than myself. But I knew I could tell from her descriptions that it was very similar to what had happened to me and to other women who had worked for Andrew. And that was why I decided that if I speak up, then the truth about my past will help confirm the truth about the present. And so I decided to do it. And I do believe from talking to some of the 11 women that they feel like I actually helped because they grew more confident in their decision to speak up and also to get people to understand what they were saying.”
Hinton talked about the growth of the #MeToo movement took off in 2017 and how women in sports speaking out gave her strength.
“I said, ‘Well, if they can do it, I can do it.’ I also had written an op-ed for the New York Daily News. And it’s when I coined the term “penis politics” because it’s not about the book is not about a body part right? Right. The book is about what some men do to control, have power and authority over women in the workplace.”
