New York Gov. retailated against sexual harassment victim, broke state and federal law

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo broke state and federal law with sexual harassment retaliated against one victim who told of his misdeeds, an independent report found.

But, whether he’ll be placed in cuffs, face civil penalties or be removed from office is still to be determined.

A report released by the New York Attorney General’s office on Aug. 3, found the Democratic Governor harassed multiple women, who were current or former state employees. The actions included groping, kissing, hugging and making inappropriate comments.

Investigators also found Cuomo and staff members took action to retaliate against one person who came forward with her story.

The executive office fostered a toxic workplace that allowed the harassment, the report found.

“This is a sad day for New York because independent investigators have concluded that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and, in doing so, broke the law,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “I am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth. No man — no matter how powerful — can be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.”

In announcing the findings of the independent review, the Attorney General Office noted that Cuomo broke state and federal laws.

The investigation started in March after several women reported sexual harassment by the governor, who drew praise for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigations spoke to 179 people and reviewed more than 74,000 documents, emails and texts during the course of the investigation.

Cuomo also spoke to interviews and answered questioned under oath. He denied the allegations, but the report noted that it was by offering blanket statements or saying he couldn’t remember specific incidents.

The Executive office was rife with fear and intimidation” that not only “enabled the above-described instances of harassment to occur” but also “created a hostile work environment overall,” the report found.