Story at a glance
- Following several accusations against the governor, New York Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation into Cuomo’s conduct.
- The report found he and members of his office created an atmosphere of “fear and intimidation” that normalized Cuomo’s behavior.
- Eleven women came forward in the report.
The state attorney general’s office of New York found that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) sexually harassed multiple women from 2013 to 2020.
The governor also retaliated against a former employee who complained publicly about his conduct, according to the 165-page report.
The women were staffers who worked as colleagues alongside Cuomo. Overall, 11 women were listed in the report as victims of harassment by Cuomo.
“This is a sad day for New York because independent investigators have concluded that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and, in doing so, broke the law,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “I am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth. No man — no matter how powerful — can be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.”
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Allegations against Cuomo first appeared in December 2020. By March, three women had come forward with viable claims of unwanted advances, including unwanted groping, kissing, and hugging, and making inappropriate comments. These claims eventually prompted the New York attorney general’s office to conduct an investigation into Cuomo’s conduct.
The report released today was compiled by a group of independent lawyers selected by James.
Ultimately, the report found that Cuomo’s inappropriate advances “created a hostile work
environment for women.” It also notably added that Cuomo’s Executive Chamber––a part of the governor’s office with heads of the public agencies of New York––also contributed to an atmosphere of “fear and intimidation” in the governor’s office.
Critically, James’s office said that the Executive Chamber violated state and federal laws. Some of these may have been retaliatory incidents where they worked to discredit accusers who came forward with allegations against Cuomo.
In total, 179 individuals were interviewed as part of the investigation, and 41 testified under oath. A tip line was also established, with 280 potential tips from members of the public reported.
During his testimony, Cuomo frequently denied any recollection of events detailed by the victims. The investigative team found that his “denials lacked persuasiveness, were devoid of detail, and were inconsistent with many witnesses’ observations of his behavior” toward many of the women who came forward.
This is not a criminal investigation, however, but stands to influence the state legislature’s decision to impeach the governor.
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