Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 over sexual misconduct allegations, harassed even more women than previously reported.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that it had settled with New York state over the sexually hostile work environment cultivated under Cuomo.
The Justice Department investigation revealed that Cuomo’s Executive Chamber “(1) subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment; (2) tolerated that environment and failed to correct the problem on an agency-wide basis and (3) retaliated against employees who spoke out about the harassment,” according to a press release from the office of the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
The department also found that at least 13 female state employees were victims of Cuomo’s harassment. “Governor Cuomo repeatedly subjected these female employees to unwelcome, non-consensual sexual contact; ogling; unwelcome sexual comments; gender-based nicknames; comments on their physical appearances; and/or preferential treatment based on their physical appearances,” the report said.
Cuomo defenders: He didn't harass 11 women.
— Bill Hammond (@NYHammond) January 26, 2024
DOJ: Okay, okay, it was 13. https://t.co/tEMhVsBW9v pic.twitter.com/iVDS9g4a1P
Previous reports only listed 11 women as victims, not all of whom were state employees. Cuomo has also been accused of harassing women he met at public events.
Since Cuomo left office, the Executive Chamber has carried out a series of reforms under Governor Kathy Hochul to prevent harassment and retaliation. The Justice Department settlement calls for further reforms, including expanding the chamber’s Human Resources Department, creating new channels to externally report and investigate incidents of harassment, and removing the employees who were identified as enabling Cuomo’s harassment. The chamber must also develop and implement anti-harassment and anti-retaliation programs.
Cuomo served as New York’s governor for 10 years, gaining national attention and praise for the way he navigated the Covid-19 pandemic. But everything came crashing down in 2020, when his first accuser came forward. Soon after came revelations that he actually handled the pandemic terribly, as well as a damning 165-page report from New York Attorney General Letitia James detailing Cuomo’s long history of sexual harassment.
Finally, in August 2021, with no major supporters left, Cuomo stepped down.
