New York Attorney General Letitia James held a press conference, Tuesday, where she announced the findings of an internal investigation into the sexual harassment claims against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The office reportedly found that Cuomo harassed current and former state employees, as well as a number of women outside of state government, James said. She reports that her investigation found that Cuomo engaged in “unwelcome and nonconsensual touching,” and made comments of a “suggestive” sexual nature. James said that the conduct created a “hostile work environment for women.”
“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 the report. “That culture also influenced the improper and inadequate ways in which the Executive Chamber has responded to allegations of harassment.”
Reports claim that Cuomo’s behavior was not limited to his staff, yet extended to other state employees, including a State Trooper on his protective detail, as well as members of the public. Investigators spoke to 179 individuals, and reviewed 74,000 pieces of evidence, James said. That evidence painted a “deeply disturbing yet clear picture,” she added.
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