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New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after the executive chamber issued a referral letter granting her request to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against Governor Andrew Cuomo:
“Today, the executive chamber transmitted a referral letter to our office, providing us the authority to move forward with an independent investigation into allegations of sexual harassment claims made against Governor Cuomo. This is not a responsibility we take lightly as allegations of sexual harassment should always be taken seriously. As the letter states, at the close of the review, the findings will be disclosed in a public report.”
The governor has been on the defensive since two former staffers accused him of sexual improprieties, in articles published in The New York Times.
A former state economic development official, Lindsey Boylan, accused the governor of sexual harrassment between 2016 to 2018 and claimed he’d also kissed her on the lips on one occasion in his Manhattan office.
A second former employee, Charlotte Bennett, who is 25, said the governor asked her about her personal private life and told her he was willing to have sexual relations with a younger woman. She also accused him of asking her whether she’d had sex with an older man.
Yesterday, Attorney General James announced she would appoint a special deputy to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations against Governor Cuomo.
Below, is text of the letter linked above:
Dear Attorney General James,
The Governor is hereby making a referral pursuant to Executive Law Section §63 (8) for you to select an independent law firm to conduct an inquiry into allegations of and circumstances surrounding sexual harassment claims made against the Governor.
As provided in Executive Law §63 (8), that private attorney or private attorneys, may be designated as Special Deputy Attorney General or Assistant Deputy Attorney General, to conduct the review.
Nothing in this letter is intended to constrain or limit any of the powers inherent in Executive Law §63 (8). Due to the nature of this review, however, the weekly reports contemplated by Executive Law §63 (8) will not be approved by or transmitted to the Executive. At the close of the review, the findings will be disclosed in a public report.
All New York State employees have been directed to cooperate fully with this review. I will serve as point of contact for any witness interviews or document production for the Executive Chamber and will connect you with appropriate counsel in any other agency or entity for any documents or witnesses necessary for the review.
Sincerely,
Special Counsel and Senior Advisor
