Cuomo sexually harassed nearly a dozen women, AG’s report says
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State Attorney General Letitia James released a report Tuesday detailing and confirming allegations that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women who currently or formerly worked for the state. AP photos by Mary Altaffer/Seth Wenig
By Jacob Kaye
Son of Queens Governor Andrew Cuomo violated federal and state law by sexually harassing multiple women who currently and formerly worked for the state, a long-awaited report from State Attorney General Letitita James released Tuesday concluded.
The report, nearly five months in the making, was led by outside attorneys Anne Clark of Vladeck, Raskin & Clark and Joon Kim of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. It details a “hostile” work environment created by Cuomo, who groped and verbally harassed at least eleven women during his time in office, according to the report.
“Our investigation revealed that the Governor’s sexually harassing behavior was not limited to members of his own staff, but extended to other State employees, including a State Trooper on his protective detail and members of the public,” the report reads. “We also conclude that the Executive Chamber’s culture—one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor’s frequent flirtations and gender-based comments—contributed to the conditions that allowed the sexual harassment to occur and persist.”
The release of the 165-page report, which Cuomo assigned to the attorney general’s office in March per state law, has renewed calls from lawmakers for the governor to resign and, if he does not, for forceable removal by way of impeachment. The report, which makes no recommendations about further legal or political action, could however be used by prosecutors or elected officials as evidence for any future proceedings, James said.
Investigators spoke with 179 people and reviewed over 74,000 pieces of evidence related to the harassment claims, according to the attorney general.
“These interviews and pieces of evidence reveal a deeply disturbing, yet clear picture,” James said. “Governor Cuomo sexually harassed current and former state employees in violation of both federal and state laws.”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James, center, speaks at a press conference, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in New York alongside attorneys Joon Kim, right, and Anne L. Clark. AP photo by Ted Shaffrey
The report says Cuomo violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by committing gender-based harassment and retaliation against his accusers.
The report investigated allegations that Cuomo had inappropriately touched a state trooper, finding that he ran his hand across her stomach, his finger down her back and commented on her appearance, asking why she didn’t “wear a dress.”
Cuomo denied inappropriately touching the trooper to investigators.
The report also details harassment experienced by named accusers Lindsay Boylan, Charlotte Bennett and others who say that Cuomo repeatedly asked them questions about their sex lives and occasionally expressed his own sexual desires to them, something explicitly prohibited by his office’s own anti-sexual harassment policies.
Cuomo continued to deny the allegations and quashed calls to resign Tuesday in a nearly 15 minute video response posted to social media a few hours after the report was released. He chalked up the calls to resign as a political play.
“First, I want you to know, directly from me, that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made sexually inappropriate advances,” the governor said.
“It has been a hard and painful period for me and my family, especially as others feed ugly stories to the press,” Cuomo added. “I cooperated with the review and I can now finally share the truth.”
Cuomo’s attorney additionally released a written response to each of the 11 allegations mentioned in James’ report.
In the video, Cuomo criticized the media’s coverage of the substantiated allegations against him and of his practice of touching people, which he said he learned from his mother and father and is a sign of non-sexual affection.
“I do kiss people on the forehead, I do kiss people on the cheek, I do kiss people on the hand, I do embrace people, I do hug people - men and women,” he said as images of the governor kissing various elected officials were shown on the screen.
In a video response released Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo denied the allegations against him and defended his actions. Screenshot via Gov. Cuomo/Twitter
Despite Cuomo’s denial of the allegations, lawmakers in the governor’s native borough who were hesitant to call on him to resign earlier this year spoke up Tuesday.
“The office of Attorney General Tish James conducted a complete, thorough and professional investigation of the disturbing allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo,” Reps. Tom Suozzi, Hakeem Jeffries and Gregory Meeks said in a joint statement.
The three congress members earlier this year urged patience in the investigative processes before jumping to conclusions.
“The investigation has found that the Governor engaged in abusive behavior toward women, including subordinates, created a hostile work environment and violated state and federal law,” the lawmakers continued. “We commend the brave women who came forward and spoke truth to power. The time has come for Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the right thing for the people of New York State and resign.”
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and President Joe Biden also called on the governor to step down.
Rep. Grace Meng, who called on Cuomo to resign about two weeks after James’ investigation began in March, doubled down Tuesday and called for impeachment should he choose to stay.
“The results of AG [James’] independent investigation are clear: Governor Cuomo engaged in horrifying, abusive, and unlawful behavior,” Rep. Grace Meng wrote on Twitter. “I stand with the brave women who have come forward. For the good of NY, he must resign, or the Assembly must begin impeachment proceedings.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has forcefully called on Cuomo to resign in the past, said Tuesday that Cuomo’s actions were “disqualifying.”
“It is beyond clear that Andrew Cuomo is not fit to hold office and can no longer serve as governor,” the mayor said. “He must resign, and if he continues to resist and attack the investigators who did their jobs, he should be impeached immediately.”
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also called for impeachment if the governor does not resign.
“Today, I am thinking of all the survivors who are in pain due to the Governor's behavior,” the borough president said in a statement. “I hope the Assembly swiftly moves forward with impeachment proceedings if Governor Cuomo does not resign.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reads his statement on the investigation into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Schumer says he continues to believe Cuomo should resign. AP photo by J. Scott Applewhite
Lawmakers who called for the Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against Cuomo in February, reasserted their demands after the report was released.
“This is just not the leadership we want nor need at this moment,” Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas told the Eagle. “We need a true ethical moral compass and so many of us have lost our trust and faith in his ability to do that without harming others.”
“He should resign and if not, we should impeach,” she added.
Gonzalez-Rojas and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani were among the first to urge impeachment when the allegations against Cuomo first began to stack up. Mamdani, who called Cuomo’s behavior “disgusting” Tuesday, said that the Assembly should act regardless of what Cuomo decides to do.
“The report gives us no choice: We must reconvene session immediately [and] begin impeachment proceedings,” Mamdani said. “Cuomo can decide whether or not he resigns. We decide whether or not to impeach him.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said that following a meeting with fellow Democrats, the Assembly would move to “conclude our impeachment investigation as quickly as possible.”
“After our conference this afternoon to discuss the Attorney General’s report concerning sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo, it is abundantly clear to me that the Governor has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office,” Heastie said.
However, not all Queens lawmakers were quick to call for resignation or impeachment.
Assemblymember David Weprin, who is a member of the State Assembly’s Judiciary Committee and will meet with his colleagues to discuss the report on Monday, said that he hadn’t yet read the report when contacted by the Eagle Tuesday.
“I’m not going to rush to judgement but I certainly will take the allegations seriously and I will read the report,” Weprin said. “I’m not making a recommendation at the time but they seem like they’re serious allegations.”
James, Clark and Kim emphasized that with the publishing of the report, the attorney general’s investigation is complete and no further action will be taken by James’ office.
“All the information is fully documented in the report and any prosecutors or police departments can look at the evidence and determine if they want to take further action,” Clark said.
David Soares, the district attorney of Albany County, said that his office, which has an ongoing investigation into allegations of harassment against Cuomo, will “be formally requesting investigative materials obtained by the AG’s office, and we welcome any victim to contact our office with additional information.”
James, who said that the investigation wasn’t coordinated with the State Assembly, said that she hopes that regardless of the outcome of the report, praise be given to the women who stepped forward and accused the most powerful person in New York of harassment.
“I think we should all be focused on the courage and bravery of the women who came forward,” James said. “All of us should be focused on keeping women safe, believing women and allowing them to speak their truth – and that's exactly what this document does.”
This story was updated to include a statement from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie at 5:39 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021.
