New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed several women and retaliated against a former employee, said New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing the Democrat governor of violating laws.
âGovernor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law,â James said in a news conference on Tuesday, adding that Cuomo fostered a âhostileâ and âunsafeâ work environment. The governor engaged in âunwanted groping, kissing, and hugging,â as well as making inappropriate remarks, she said.
Jamesâ office concurrently released a 165-page report (pdf) following an investigation, which started in March when several women publicly accused the governor of misconduct. The report, which doesnât have any criminal consequences, included interviews of 179 witnesses and a review of thousands of documents.
Cuomo, a Democrat, harassed his own staff members, members of the public, and even a state trooper, the report claimed.
The attorney generalâs report punctuates the governorâs stunning fall-from-grace after he was largely lauded by the national mediaâincluding awards and a book dealâfor how he dealt with the COVID-19 epidemic. Cuomo is also accused of misconduct in how his office handled nursing homes amid the pandemic, which may have led to thousands of excess deaths from the virus.
When women began making accusations against the governor, a number of New York Democrat officials urged him to resign. Cuomo has denied the allegations and has refused to step down. Even President Joe Biden said the governor should step down if the allegations against him are confirmed in Jamesâ investigation.
The governor, also according to Jamesâ report, denied the most serious allegations and made blanket statements or had a lack of recollection into certain details when asked.
âI never harassed anyone, I never assaulted anyone, I never abused anyone,â Cuomo said in March. âIâm not going to resign.â He apologized for making some women feel uncomfortable, however.
Cuomo at the time said that he ânever, ever meant to offend anyone or hurt anyone or cause anyone painâ and feels âterrible that these people felt uncomfortable, felt hurt, felt pain from the interactions, and Iâm embarrassed by it, and I feel bad from it.â
Former U.S. Attorney Joon Kim and Anne Clark were selected by James to head the investigation. Cuomo, in statements to the press, accused the two officials of being biased against him.
But investigators found that Cuomoâs recollections during interviews âstood in stark contrast to the strength, specificity, and corroboration of the complainantsâ recollections, as well as the reports of many other individuals who offered observations and experiences of the governorâs conduct,â the report stated.
âThis 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,â James, also a Democrat, added in a statement. âI am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth. No manâno matter how powerfulâcan be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.â
The Epoch Times has contacted the governorâs office for comment.