Andrew Cuomo: New York Governor sexually harassed women, report finds

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been accused of sexually harassing multiple women, subjecting them to unwanted kissing and groping, in a damning independent investigation.

The state’s Attorney General Letitia James said Mr Cuomo had violated state and federal laws.

In response, Mr Cuomo denied touching anyone inappropriately and vowed to continue as governor.

Several state lawmakers, including fellow Democrats, say he should resign.

The investigation was commissioned last year after several women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against the governor.

Investigators spent five months speaking to nearly 200 people, including staff members and some of those who made complaints against him. Tens of thousands of documents, texts and pictures were reviewed as part of the inquiry.

“The independent investigation has concluded that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law,” Ms James said.

Mr Cuomo, she said, had engaged in “unwelcome and non-consensual touching and making numerous offensive comments”.

In one case, Mr Cuomo and his staff retaliated against a former employee who accused him of wrongdoing, according to Ms James.

Other women described being groped, kissed or sitting on the governor’s lap.

Mr Cuomo allegedly reached under the blouse of an assistant to touch her breast, while another aide said he asked her if she was open to sex with an older man.

The governor stood behind a state trooper in a lift, running his finger down her neck and saying “hey you”, according to investigators.

On top of the allegations of harassment, Mr Cuomo is accused of presiding over a “hostile and toxic work environment”.

Joon Kim, who co-led the investigation, said: “It was a culture where you could not say no to the governor and if you upset him or his senior staff you’d be written off, cast aside or worse.”

In his statement, Mr Cuomo said: “I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.

“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.”

New York’s senators, the Democrats Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand used the release of the investigation to again call for him to resign.

“Today’s report from the New York State attorney general substantiated and corroborated the allegations of the brave women who came forward to share their stories – and we commend the women for doing so,” they said.

The investigation is civil, rather than criminal, so will not directly lead to charges. But police could use the report in deciding to take further action and it is also likely to play a key part in a separate impeachment investigation he faces.

After a whirlwind of attention earlier this year, the Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment allegations had been held at a low simmer for months. The New York attorney general’s report now brings them roaring back.

Cuomo was able to survive the story’s first wave through a mix of denials, apologies and hunkering down in hopes that the political storm would pass. He seems determined to follow the same strategy again.

Even with the new revelations and the report’s conclusion that the governor engaged in a “pattern” of misconduct, an organised effort to remove Cuomo through legislative impeachment will be a tough task.

Where this report may draw political blood, however, is by further diminishing Cuomo’s prospects for re-election next year. His popularity has been dented, his opponents have multiplied, and the Democratic establishment continues to distance itself from the man who was once one of the party’s top stars.

The next move may come from President Joe Biden, who said he was reserving his judgement until the Cuomo investigation concluded. If he turns on the governor now – either publicly or behind the scenes – it could be the only way Cuomo exits the stage before his term as governor expires.