New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple female employees and other women, the New York attorney general announced as part of her investigative findings on Tuesday (Aug. 3). As a result of her probe into multiple harassment allegations against the governor, Attorney General Letitia James found that Cuomo “engaged in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching,” made sexually “suggestive” comments to his staff and other women and created a “hostile work environment for women.”
According to the investigation, Cuomo harassed several of his own current and former employees, other female state employees, a State Trooper who was on his protective detail and members of the general public.
“We also conclude that the Executive Chamber’s culture — one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor’s frequent flirtations and gender-based comments — contributed to the conditions that allowed the sexual harassment to occur and persist,” investigators Joon Kim and Anne Clark wrote in their findings.
“That culture also influenced the improper and inadequate ways in which the Executive Chamber has responded to allegations of harassment,” they added.
The report details the allegations made by 11 women. In a statement, James said, “I believe women. And I believe these 11 women.”
James launched the investigation against Cuomo in light of multiple sexual harassment allegations, which the governor denied. However, investigators said on Tuesday that Cuomo’s “denials [lacked] credibility and [were] inconsistent with the weight of evidence obtained during our investigation.”
According to their report, investigators spoke to 179 individuals for the probe and reviewed 74,000 pieces of evidence. James said the evidence created painted a “deeply disturbing yet clear picture” of the harassment.
In the report, investigators also described Cuomo’s conduct as “unlawful,” though the probe did not conclude whether or not he will face any criminal charges.