Andrew Cuomo Sexual Harassment Inquiry

Overview

Andrew Cuomo Sexual Harassment Inquiry refers to the 2020-201 allegations of workplace sexual harassment perpetrated by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. The allegations were investigated by the New York Attorney General Letitia James and an impeachment inquiry was authorized by the New York State Assembly. On August 3rd, 2021, James' investigation concluded that Cuomo had sexually harassed multiple women, leading to calls for the governor's resignation.

Background

On December 13th, 2020, former Cuomo aide and then-candidate for Manhattan Borough President Lindey Boylan^[1] accused Andrew Cuomo of workplace sexual harassment in a series of tweets:

Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched. I could never anticipate what to expect: would I be grilled on my work (which was very good) or harassed about my looks. Or would it be both in the same conversation? This was the way for years… I’m angry to be put in this situation at all. That because I am a woman, I can work hard my whole life to better myself and help others and yet still fall victim as countless women over generations have. Mostly silently. I hate that some men, like @NYGovCuomo abuse their power.

In the following months, many more accusers of harassment, inappropriate touching, kissing, and comments came forward: Sherry Vill, Alyssa McGrath, Jessica Bakeman, Valerie Bauman, Karen Hinton, Ana Liss, Anna Ruch, and Charlotte Bennett. An anonymous accusation was also made in which an unnamed former aide accused the governor of groping her over her bra.^[2]

Developments

On February 24th, Boylan expanded on her allegations in a Medium essay,^[4] saying Cuomo once asked her if she wanted to play strip poker and a separate time kissed her on the lips without consent. She also accused the Governor's "loyalists" of attempting to smear her after her December 13th allegations.

On February 28th, 2021, Cuomo apologized for comments that "have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation" and agreed to allow the New York State Attorney General to independently investigate the matter.^[3] Two weeks later, he refused to resign among growing calls for his resignation,^[5] blaming cancel culture and attacking the lawmakers calling for his resignation as "reckless and dangerous" while the investigation was ongoing. 82 New York State Assembly members called for Cuomo's resignation, as well as 45 state senators, New York City mayor Bill De Blasio and several mayoral candidates.^[6]

Independent Investigation Results

On August 3rd, 2021, the New York Attorney General's Office released the results of its investigation into the harassment claims. The report^[7] reads:

The investigators concluded that Governor Cuomo did sexually harass multiple women -- including former and current state employees -- by engaging in unwanted groping, kissing, and hugging, and making inappropriate comments. Further, the governor and his senior staff took actions to retaliate against at least one former employee for coming forward with her story. Finally, the Executive Chamber fostered a “toxic” workplace that enabled “harassment to occur and created a hostile work environment.” The investigators find that Governor Cuomo’s actions and those of the Executive Chamber violated multiple state and federal laws, as well as the Executive Chamber’s own written policies.

The announcement furthered calls for Cuomo's resignation. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for his resignation.^[8]

Cuomo denied the allegations made in the report by releasing a report of his own that refuted every allegation against him (shown below).^[9]

The report also included pictures of Cuomo hugging several people, including world leaders, which was described as "bizarre" by CNBC.

The New York State Assembly is believed towards moving to impeach Cuomo.^[10] New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, "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. Once we receive all relevant documents and evidence from the Attorney General, we will move expeditiously and look to conclude our impeachment investigation as quickly as possible." If Cuomo is impeached, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul would take over as Governor of New York.

Resignation

On August 10th, 2021, Andrew Cuomo resigned from office. In his press conference, he said the investigation into him was unfair and politically motivated, but agreed to step aside.

Search Interest

External References