New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday that an investigation into possible misconduct on the part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has found that he “sexually harassed multiple women inside and outside state government and worked to retaliate against one of his accusers,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
“These interviews and pieces of evidence revealed a deeply disturbing yet clear picture: Gov. Cuomo sexually harassed current and former state employees in violation of federal and state laws,” James said during the Tuesday press conference, while also saying the investigation has concluded.
The AP also reported:
The nearly five-month investigation, conducted by two outside lawyers who spoke to 179 people, found that the Cuomo administration was a “hostile work environment” and that it was “rife with fear and intimidation.”[…]
On at least one occasion, the investigation found, Cuomo and his senior staff worked to retaliate against a former employee who accused him of wrongdoing. Cuomo was also found to have harassed women outside of government, the investigation found.
The report also detailed, for the first time, allegations that Cuomo sexually harassed a female state trooper on his security detail. It said that the governor ran his hand or fingers across her stomach and her back, kissed her on the cheek, asked for her help in finding a girlfriend and asked why she didn’t wear a dress.
The investigation also reportedly found that each of the 11 women who made allegations against Cuomo were “credible.”
Back in December, Cuomo vehemently denied allegations made by his former deputy secretary of economic development and special advisor, Lindsey Boylan.
“I heard about the tweet and what it said about comments that I had made, and it’s not true," Cuomo said, according to the Democrat & Chronicle. "Look, I fought for and I believe a woman has a right to come forward and express her opinion and express issues and concerns that she has, but it’s just not true.”
For video of James' announcement during the press conference, watch below: