Following a slew of accusations from multiple women, an investigative report has found that New York governor Andrew Cuomo did, in fact, create a “hostile work environment.” According to the investigative report headed by Attorney General Letitia James, it “revealed conduct that corrodes the very fabric and character of our state government and shines light on injustice that can be present at the highest levels of government.”
According to the women who have come forward, they have accused Cuomo of acting inappropriately and sexual harassment. According to the accusations, this behavior occurred at work and at public events.
As BuzzFeed reported, the first woman to speak out was Andrew Cuomo’s former aid, Lindsey Boylan. In a tweet, Boylan wrote that Cuomo had sexually harassed her “for years.”
Her decision to come forward seemingly encouraged other women who at one time worked for Cuomo to come forward as well. Some of the specific accusations revealed that the governor would inappropriately touch these women and also asked them about their sex lives.
Then, in March 2021, the Albany Times Union reported that a former staffer had come forward accusing Cuomo of groping her at the Executive Mansion in late 2020. Cuomo has denied all accusations against him.
“I did not do what has been alleged, period. I won’t speculate about people’s possible motives, but I can tell you as a former attorney general who has gone through this situation many times, there are often many motivations for making an allegation, and that is why you need to know the facts before you make a decision.”
During the duration of the investigation, BuzzFeed reports that 179 people were interviewed. Between accusers, state troopers, employees, and more, investigators also looked through 74,000 pieces of evidence which included text messages, pictures, documents, and recordings.
The investigation into the accusations against Governor Cuomo began in March when President Joe Biden called for his resignation, should the accusation be found to be true. In addition to the 179 witness interviews and the evidence that was looked at, Cuomo, himself, was also interviewed for a total of 11 hours in July, BuzzFeed reports.
It’s unclear of the 179 witnesses, how many were accusers. However, according to reports, some of them did talk with investigators.
Nevertheless, prior to the reveal of the Attorney General’s finding, Cuomo has raised questions around the investigators in charge of the investigation. As Andrew Cuomo said in a past press conference in July, he has “concerns as to the independence of the reviewers. Is this all happening in a political system? Yes, that is undeniable.”
As far as whether or not Cuomo will be criminally charged following the finding of this investigation is unclear. According to Attorney General James said that was not the purpose of their investigation.
“Our work is concluded and the document is now public and the matter is civil in nature and does not have any criminal consequences.”
Andrew Cuomo Speaks Out:
Following the release of the findings, Cuomo said in a statement that he “never touched anyone inappropriately” or “made inappropriate sexual advances.” He further claimed that “the facts are much different than what has been portrayed,” before adding, “I am 63 years old. I have lived my entire adult life in public view. That is just not who I am, and that’s not who I have ever been.”
However, Andrew Cuomo further noted that he understands “there are generational and cultural perspectives that I have not fully appreciated” and that “I have learned from this.”
It is also unclear if this investigation will cause Andrew Cuomo to resign from his position as governor, despite his reluctance to do so over the last several months.