Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Stringer Urges Investigation Of His Accuser's Sexual Assault Claims, Says He Can't Remember When He First Met Her
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published May 5, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gwynne Hogan / WNYC
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published May 5, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
As he fights to stay competitive in the mayoral race, Scott Stringer on Wednesday said he welcomed an investigation into claims that he sexually assaulted a woman who volunteered on his 2001 public advocate campaign.
Speaking to Brian Lehrer, he said that while he supported a woman's right to come forward about sexual misconduct, he also "believes in due process and justice." The allegations, he claimed, "are 100% untrue."
Last week, Jean Kim, now a lobbyist, accused Stringer of forcibly touching and kissing her as well as repeatedly propositioning her. Stringer has vehemently denied the allegations, saying the two had a consensual relationship. "We had a friendship, with a little more," Stringer told Lehrer. Kim maintains they never had sex.
Listen to WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show segment with Scott Stringer:
On Tuesday, Kim filed a civil rights complaint with the New York Attorney General's office. Her lawyer, Patricia Pastor, has argued that the attorney general should investigate wrongdoing by Stringer since he was a state assembly member at the time of the alleged incidents and also because he is currently a city comptroller who is running for mayor.
But it is not clear whether Letitia James, the attorney general, will take the case and how an investigation on incidents dating back two decades would be handled. James is currently overseeing an independent investigation into sexual misconduct accusations made by several women against Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Stringer has attempted to walk a line between showing respect for the #MeToo movement and undermining the accuser's credibility.
During the interview with Lehrer, he repeatedly cited an Intercept story that raised questions about Kim's statements and potential motivations.
One issue that Stringer and the article raises is Kim's assertion that she worked as an unpaid intern on Stringer's campaign.
"Jean Kim was never an intern," he told Lehrer. "She was a 30-year-old adult who was a campaign contributor."
Kim has maintained that the disagreement amounts to semantics, calling the campaign an intern-like atmosphere in which she was mentored by Stringer.
Reached for comment, Kim's attorney, Pastor, called the Intercept story "full of bias and inaccuracies."
The Intercept story also raises questions about the timeline of Stringer and Kim's relationship.
During his interview on Wednesday, Stringer said he could not remember when they first met.
In the wake of the accusations, many of Stringer's progressive supporters, including the Working Families Party, have rescinded their endorsements. The New York Times reported an unnamed source as saying that members of the Working Families Party had felt Stringer had been too defensive and failed to acknowledge the power imbalance between himself and Kim.
Asked about the suggested power imbalance, Stringer said, "I’ve had a lot of friends, girlfriends, personal friends who worked on campaigns as volunteers."
"We were friends, we were both adults," he added.
Stringer also responded to efforts by his campaign to link Kim to rival candidate Andrew Yang. His campaign spokesperson, Tyrone Stevens, has pointed to ballot petitions she distributed which had Yang on the ballot. Kim has said the petitions were for a district leader candidate named Esther Yang, who is supporting Andrew Yang.
"I don’t really care who she’s supporting for president or mayor or any office," Stringer said. "Her political life is not my concern." He added that it was about “getting out to the public everything that should be out there. Everybody can make up their own minds.”
Stringer, who has worked in city politics for three decades, later added that he was aggressively defending himself so that his children could read his response "twenty years" from now.
"I signed up for this journey. I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me," he said. "I want [my children] to be able to say our dad was very clear. That to me is more important than being mayor of the city."
Tagged
sexual abuse allegations
mayoral campaign
scott stringer
brian lehrer show
election 2021
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man took girlfriend’s body to beach in a wagon, where it remained for 5 days
Seraphina Pereira was found in a shallow grave at Rockaway Community Park. Rogelio Lozano-Garita pleaded not guilty to murder on Wednesday.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 28, 2026 at 6:58 p.m. ET
Mamdani extends NYC racial equity leader's term after Council pushes back on replacement
Linda Tigani, the current chair of the Commission on Racial Equity, is expected to stay on in the role through July 2027.
By
Elizabeth Kim
News
Mamdani extends NYC racial equity leader's term after Council pushes back on replacement
Linda Tigani, the current chair of the Commission on Racial Equity, is expected to stay on in the role through July 2027.
By
Elizabeth Kim
Woman charged with federal hate crimes after allegedly stabbing 2 Jewish men in NYC
By
Giulia Heyward
Ex-NYPD sergeant sentenced to 4-12 years in deadly drunken Taconic crash
By
Charles Lane
After being booed at integration forum, NYC chancellor praised by school parent leaders
By
Jessica Gould
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .