Following the announcement from New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) that Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed current and former state employees, violating both federal and state law as determined by a months-long investigation, the anti-sexual harassment group Time’s Up has begun calling for the governor’s immediate resignation.
After a months-long investigation and mounting allegations of sexual harassment, the attorney general announced on Tuesday, “The independent investigation has concluded that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law.”
The investigation found that the governor 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.”
In response, in a series of tweets introducing its statement on the matter, the left-wing group expressed admiration for those who came out about their experiences with the governor.
“We acknowledge and deeply respect the courage and sacrifice of the 11 women who came forward to share their experiences of harassment and the retaliation they endured working with and for @NYGovCuomo,” the group’s tweet read.
The group also stated the investigation’s findings prove “the powerful can no longer hide behind their influence and threats when people they’ve harmed are demanding accountability and justice.”
In another tweet, the group applauded Attorney General Tish James for “the thoroughness of her investigation,” before calling on Cuomo to “resign immediately.”
In its official statement released Tuesday, Time’s Up slammed the governor for failing to protect women working under him.
Noting that the investigation found Cuomo broke laws and “a toxic and hostile work environment existed,” the group accused the governor of having “failed to protect the women who worked in the New York State government.”
As a result, it declared Cuomo “shouldn’t be permitted to govern,” with the group calling on him to “resign immediately.”
“It’s imperative that he face the consequences of his actions and be held to account by the State Assembly and law enforcement authorities in New York,” the statement continues.
The group then referred to the experiences of those working with and for Gov. Cuomo as “the experience of countless women working in environments that are unsafe because those in power shield their abusive behavior, leaving the victims responsible for choosing between their physical safety, their income, and their reputation.”
The probe included interviews with 179 people and over 74,000 pieces of evidence.
In February, Cuomo denied accusations of inappropriate touching, saying he “never propositioned anybody” and “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 said at the time.
“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.
Time’s Up was created in 2017 by Hollywood celebrities in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 21: Women’s rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time’s Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street on January 21, 2018 in London, England. The Time’s Up Women’s March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women’s March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time’s Up movement against sexual abuse. The Time’s Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
The group boasts a slew of stars and former Obama associates in leadership roles, and its CEO Tina Tchen is a former Obama White House aide who also worked as Michelle Obama’s chief of staff.
The group’s governing board includes former Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, mega TV producer Shonda Rhimes, CNN personality Ana Navarro, as well as actresses Eva Longoria and Ashley Judd.
Time’s Up also has close ties to SKDK, the Democratic public relations powerhouse.
In February, the group turned on Cuomo, calling for an investigation of credible sexual misconduct allegations made against the disgraced governor by a former staffer.
Time’s Up also strongly supported Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, calling for protests and walkouts over social media.
The group came under fire last year for declining to help Tara Reade, the former congressional aide who accused President Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her three decades ago.
The group has also come under scrutiny after tax documents showed that it spent substantial funds on executive salaries while skimping on assisting actual victims.
Follow Joshua Klein on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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