Cuomo denies state investigation findings that he sexually harassed multiple women
Despite increasing calls for him to resign, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday rejected the findings of an investigation from the state attorney general that found the Democrat had sexually harassed multiple women.
State Attorney General Letitia James releasedthe report late Tuesday morning, saying at a press conference that Cuomo “sexually harassed current and former state employees in violation of both federal and state laws. The independent investigation found that Governor Cuomo harassed multiple women, many of whom were young women, by engaging in unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and by making inappropriate comments.”
In a video statement released two hours later, Cuomo said, “The facts are much different than what has been portrayed” and painted himself as a champion of sexual assault victims, apologizing to Charlotte Bennet, one of his accusers who the governor said he was trying to help. Cuomo said there were cultural and generational differences in how his behavior was received, stating he would institute new sexual harassment policies for the state.
Following the report’s publication, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., called the report “deeply, deeply disturbing” and reiterated her previous position that Cuomo should resign. State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Democrat, released a statement saying "it should be clear to everyone that he can no longer serve as Governor."
Three House members from the New York delegation — including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a member of Democratic leadership — followed with their own statement, saying it was time for Cuomo “to do the right thing for the people of New York State and resign. The New York state Legislature could still impeach Cuomo.
Investigators said 11 women accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior, with the first of the claims being made publicly in late February by Lindsay Boylan, a former official in Cuomo’s administration. As public accusations mounted by mid-March, amajority of state legislators had called on the governor to resign, as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Reps. Jerry Nadler and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both Empire State Democrats.
At the time, Cuomo criticized the lawmakers, saying they were “playing politics and bowing to cancel culture.”
“Politicians who don't know a single fact but yet form a conclusion and then an opinion are, in my opinion, reckless and dangerous,” he said. “The people of New York should not have confidence in a politician who takes a position without knowing any facts or substance. That, my friends, is politics at its worst.”
The report Tuesday revealed new accusations against Cuomo, including from a New York state trooper assigned to protect him. The trooper accused Cuomo of touching her, kissing her and making inappropriate comments that she said he did not make toward her male colleagues. The investigation took nearly five months and included interviews with 179 people.
Cuomo had consistently denied the allegations as they accrued over late winter and into spring.
“I never knew at the time that I was making anyone feel uncomfortable, and I certainly never, ever meant to offend anyone or hurt anyone or cause anyone any pain,” Cuomo said at an earlier briefing in March. “That is the last thing I would ever want to do.”
“I do not believe I have ever done anything in my public career that I am ashamed of,” he added.
During an interview with ABC News in March, President Biden was asked if Cuomo should resign if the investigation confirms the women’s claims and replied, “Yes, I think he will probably end up being prosecuted, too.”
It’s been a dramatic fall from grace, after Cuomo was lauded for his COVID-19 briefings last spring, winning an Emmy and publishing a book in October titled “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Cuomo is also under scrutiny for his handling of assisted-living facilities during the pandemic, including accusations that the state hid deaths.
Cuomo was first elected governor in 2010. Prior to holding his current position, he served as the state’s attorney general and as secretary of housing and urban development under President Bill Clinton. Cuomo’s father, Mario, was also a three-term governor of New York. His brother, Chris, is a CNN anchor who has been criticized for privately helping the governor manage the scandal.
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