The Attorney General (AG) of New York State has confirmed that her investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo found that he sexually harassed multiple women and violated both federal and state laws.
The report released Tuesday by AG Letitia James finds that the Governor sexually harassed a number of current and former New York State employees by engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching while making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women.
The five-month probe concluded that Cuomo’s conduct was part of a pattern of behaviour that extended to his interactions with others outside of State Government.
The report also indicates that the Democratic Governor’s office was riddled with fear and intimidation producing a hostile working environment for many staffers. As part of the investigation, Cuomo was questioned for several hours just two weeks before the report’s release Tuesday. State AG Letitia James presented damning conclusions of her 165-page report after 11 women accused Cuomo of inappropriate behaviour.
“The independent investigation has concluded that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so, violated federal and state law. Specifically, the investigation found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed current and former New York state employees by engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching and making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women,” says James.
The AG also went into some of the specifics of her probe and what it uncovered.
“The independent investigation found that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, many of whom were young women by engaging in unwanted groping, kisses, hugging and by making inappropriate comments. Further, the governor and his senior team took actions to retaliate against at least one former employee for coming forward with her story, her truth. Governor Cuomo’s administration fostered a toxic workplace that enabled harassment and created a hostile work environment where staffers did not feel comfortable coming forward with complaints about sexual harassment due to a climate of fear and given the power dynamics.”
Governor Cuomo indicated back in March that he would not resign and in a lengthy video statement issued Tuesday rejected the accusations against him.
“It has been hard and painful period for me and my family especially as others feed ugly stories to the press but I cooperated with the review and I can now finally share the truth. My attorney, who is a non-political former federal prosecutor, has done a response to each allegation and the facts are much different than what had been portrayed. That document is available on my website, if you are interested please take the time to read the facts and decide for yourself. First I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” says Cuomo.
Once a darling of the coronavirus response in the United States with his daily briefings that captured an international audience, these developments present a major political obstacle for Cuomo’s decade-long Governorship.
“I am 63 years old. I have lived my entire adult life in public view. That is just not who I am and that’s not who I have ever been.”
Pressure will now continue to build within New York politics for Cuomo to resign with a chorus of democratic lawmakers including both New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and the Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio already urging him to step down.
The New York State legislature also has the power to impeach Cuomo if he refuses to go while it’s unclear if he will face federal and state charges based on the report’s conclusions.
