ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Division concluded former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed greater than a dozen state workers, in line with a settlement introduced Friday that confirmed allegations from the damaging misconduct probe that led to the Democrat’s resignation.
The settlement between New York and the Justice Division resolves the federal company’s sexual harassment investigation of Cuomo and descriptions extra steps the state will take to vary the way it handles misconduct complaints.
Cuomo, as soon as a rising star within the Democratic social gathering, left workplace in 2021 after a report by Legal professional Basic Letitia James concluded he sexually harassed a minimum of 11 girls. He has denied wrongdoing and argued James’ report was pushed by politics, meant to pressure him from workplace so she may run for governor.
The Justice Division investigation discovered the same sample of sexual misconduct by Cuomo and mentioned he subjected a minimum of 13 state workers to a sexually hostile work surroundings. It mentioned Cuomo’s staffers didn’t adequately report allegations and retaliated towards 4 girls who raised complaints. The company didn’t launch a full report detailing its investigation however as an alternative printed a listing of its findings.
The settlement undercut Cuomo’s long-standing criticism of James’ probe at a delicate time, with the previous governor rumored to be contemplating a political comeback.
“In the present day, the U.S. Division of Justice discovered that Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed a number of girls and created a hostile work surroundings, confirming what the New York lawyer common’s unbiased report discovered over two years in the past,” a spokesperson for James mentioned. “Andrew Cuomo can proceed to disclaim the reality and assault these girls, however the info don’t lie.”
An lawyer for Cuomo mentioned in an announcement that the previous governor didn’t sexually harass anybody.
“The DOJ ‘investigation’ was primarily based fully on the NYS Legal professional Basic’s deeply flawed, inaccurate, biased, and deceptive report. At no level did DOJ even contact Governor Cuomo regarding these issues. That is nothing greater than a political settlement with no investigation,” mentioned Cuomo lawyer Rita Glavin.
As a part of the settlement, the state will arrange a course of for folks to lodge complaints towards senior officers to a third-party legislation agency and can present extra coaching on learn how to report harassment and discrimination. As well as, the governor’s workplace will set up a program devoted to monitoring potential retaliation towards individuals who file complaints.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who was lieutenant governor till Cuomo resigned, mentioned she seems to be ahead to persevering with to reform the state’s procedures for addressing and stopping sexual harassment and retaliation.
“The second I took workplace, I knew I wanted to root out the tradition of harassment that had beforehand plagued the Govt Chamber and implement robust insurance policies to advertise a secure office for all workers, and took instant motion to take action,” Hochul mentioned.
