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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gave himself two weeks in office after announcing his resignation amid a sexual harassment scandal involving allegations by 11 different women – but there can still be criminal consequences.
The state attorney general’s office last week released a 165-page report that found Cuomo’s alleged behavior violated federal and state law as well as his own policies between 2013 and 2020. Nine of the accusers were government employees past or present, and investigators interviewed 179 people. and reviewed over 74,000 pages of documents.
“What these witnesses – and many others – described was not just old-fashioned affectionate behavior, it was sexual harassment,” the report read.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave himself two weeks in office after announcing his resignation amid a sexual harassment scandal involving allegations from 11 different women – but there can still be criminal consequences.
CUOMO SEXUALLY HARASSES MULTIPLE WOMEN IN VIOLATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, CONSTATE NY AG
At least five district attorneys statewide have requested documents from the investigation to determine if they could open criminal investigations against the governor.
So what happens next?
There is already a criminal investigation into Cuomo in Albany County, NY, based on allegations by Brittany Commisso, a former assistant to the governor, who accused him of fondling her in the executive mansion. last year and touching her back in a separate incident.
“I give the governor credit for putting New York first, although our investigation never touched his desk,” Albany Sheriff Craig Apple said in a statement. “Today’s announcement will have no effect on our investigation. We still have a complaint and an allegation of criminal conduct. Our investigation is continuing.”
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Last week, he told the New York Post that if Commisso’s allegations were true, the governor could be arrested and prosecuted for a misdemeanor. He could also face civil lawsuits from his accusers, at least one of whom has said she plans to file one.
“The end result could be that it seems justified and that an arrest is made and that it would be up to the prosecutor to continue the arrest,” he told the newspaper. “Just because of who it is, we’re not going to rush it or delay it.”
Cuomo denied the allegation and his attorney claimed it was completely fabricated last week.
“He is 63 years old. He has spent 40 years in public life and for him to be suddenly accused of sexual assault on an executive assistant he really does not know, it does not pass the course”, Rita Glavin the governor’s lawyer said on Friday.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares declined to comment on the resignation on Tuesday, but his office said the investigation remains open. Last week, he asked other potential victims to contact his office during a TV interview.
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It is possible that prosecutors in other parts of the state will conduct their own investigations – and the Department of Justice could initiate one as well.
In late July, the Justice Department dropped a civil rights inquiry into Cuomo’s handling of the number of coronavirus deaths in New York nursing homes, although other federal inquiries have remained open. Last week, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division announced a new police investigation – but no word on Cuomo. The outgoing governor is subject to a separate review of his $ 5 million book deal on his coronavirus leadership and wonders if well-connected friends and relatives have had access to the first COVID-19 tests.
President Biden told reporters he “respects” Cuomo’s decision to step down on Wednesday afternoon. He had called on him to resign last week.
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The AG’s report alleged that Cuomo participated in “unlawful retaliation” against Lindsey Boylan, one of the accusers, in addition to sexually harassing the group and creating a toxic workplace for those who were employees of the ‘State.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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