New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) announced on Tuesday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) sexually harassed current and former state employees, violating both federal and state law, as determined by the months-long investigation.
“The independent investigation has concluded that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law,” James announced on Tuesday.
The investigation found that the governor specifically “sexually harassed current and former New York State employees by engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching and making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women.”
The investigators, the attorney general continued, independently “corroborated and substantiated” the facts through interviews, evidence, including contemporaneous notes and communications, which will be made available to the public:
The probe included interviews with 179 people and over 74,000 pieces of evidence:
“These interviews and pieces of evidence revealed a deeply disturbing yet clear picture: Governor Cuomo sexually harassed current and former state employees, federal and state laws,” James continued. “The independent investigation found that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, many of whom were young women.”
The harassment included “unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and by making inappropriate comments.”
The investigation determined that Cuomo and his senior team, on at least one occasion, actively worked to retaliate against a former employee after she stepped forward.
Cuomo’s administration, James said, “fostered a toxic workplace that enabled harassment and created a hostile work environment where staffers did not feel comfortable coming forward with complaints about sexual harassment due to a climate of fear.”
The findings follow months of Cuomo facing mounting allegations of sexual harassment, which he vehemently denied.
“The report can’t say anything different, because I didn’t do anything wrong,” Cuomo said in April, referring to James’ inquiry.
In February, Cuomo denied accusations of inappropriately touching anyone and said he “never propositioned anybody and I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable.”
“I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended,” he continued
“I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry about that,” he added.
This story is developing.
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