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A Democrat New York Assemblyman has been accused by a former top aide of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment.
The former aide, Nicole Golias who served as the legislative director for the man she is accusing, Assemblyman Patrick B. Burke of Buffalo, New York, of talking about genitalia and his son’s sexual encounters with underage girls, The Buffalo News reported.
“Two other people with firsthand knowledge of Burke’s behavior in his district office also said they witnessed conversations in which the assemblyman used language they considered inappropriate and commented on women’s looks,” the newspaper reported.
“He would do anything he could to appear cool and attractive,” Golias said. “And I don’t know if he was trying to convince others or himself. But it ended up just veering into entirely inappropriate behavior.”
She said that the assemblyman made “vulgar, crass, and sexually explicit comments.”
“Pat would do stuff that made us pretty uncomfortable with regularity,” she said.
She said that he told his staff that “he had viewed sexually explicit videos of his son and female partners on his son’s Snapchat account.”
Burke has categorically denied any wrongdoing but Golias’ story is supported by Burke’s former director of community relations, Matthew T.H. Dearing, who said he witnessed some of the activity alleged by her.
He said that he and Golias are seeking a wrongful termination lawsuit.
The Buffalo News reported.
Burke called his teenage son’s sexual partners “hot,” Golias said. Golias said she told Burke that the people were minors. According to Golias’ complaint, Burke, using a profane term, told his staff that if the partner had large breasts and “a size zero waist,” “she’s hot.”
Burke said that while he did discuss his son’s Snapchat account with staff, he “absolutely” did not comment on women’s bodies in that or other conversations.
Golias said Burke made the comments in front of Dearing and Brendan Keany, his former communications director. Dearing confirmed the incident to The News and said he recalled feeling “very taken aback” by what he called Burke’s “comments about the girl’s physique.” Golias also discussed the incident with a college friend in April 2022, soon after it occurred, she said. The friend confirmed that she and Golias discussed the video, and Golias shared a May 2022 text message with The News in which her friend referred to it.
Burke later asked staff if the conversation had made them uncomfortable, Golias said, and they downplayed the incident.
“Pat would do stuff that made us pretty uncomfortable with regularity,” Dearing said, adding that discussion of women’s appearances, dating lives and sexual histories were “routine” in the office. The two other witnesses to Burke’s behavior, who requested anonymity out of concern that commenting politically would damage their careers, confirmed that they heard Burke comment on women’s appearances or express attraction to them. Burke said that he allows a “casual environment” in his office and “jokes all the time,” but not in a way that is sexually explicit.
Golias and Dearing accused Burke of commenting on the genitalia of a man she was dating. Burke denies the claim.
The pair also accused him of telling them that a women pressed her breasts against him at an event and then asked Golias if she did the same when she flirted . The assemblyman also denies this claim.
“In March 2022, Golias was marching with the assemblyman in the City of Buffalo St. Patrick’s Day Parade when they encountered several of Golias’ friends. Golias said Burke ‘looked them all up and down’ in a way that led her to believe he found the women attractive. He later commented that he would like to hang out with Golias and her friends after she shared a story about singing karaoke with them, Golias said,” The Buffalo News reported.
The assemblyman said that he never did that and said that Golias misunderstood a benign conversation.
“She’s trying to make it sound like I’m some leering creep, and I just don’t comport myself in that way at all,” he said.
