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NEW YORK: New York legal professional basic Letitia James on Wednesday dismissed former governor Andrew Cuomo‘s repeated complaints that the sexual harassment investigation that led to his resignation was tainted by politics, saying the Democrat has “by no means taken duty for his personal conduct.”
James, chatting with a civic group in New York Metropolis, defended the 165-page report her workplace launched in August that discovered Cuomo sexually harassed a minimum of 11 ladies.
“Mr Cuomo has quite a bit to say on these issues, however he is by no means taken duty for his personal conduct. He is by no means held himself accountable for a way his habits affected our state authorities,” mentioned James, additionally a Democrat.
Cuomo emphatically denied deliberately mistreating ladies. He mentioned he was stepping apart to keep away from subjecting the state to months of turmoil. Since asserting his resignation, he has promoted opinion columns on social media that query the independence of the investigation and counsel his ouster was an orchestrated, political bludgeoning.
“This was politics. Each step of the way in which,” he mentioned in a tweet final week.
The five-month, noncriminal investigation by James’ workplace concluded that 11 ladies inside and outdoors the state authorities have been telling the reality after they mentioned Cuomo had touched them inappropriately, commented on their look or made suggestive feedback about their intercourse lives. The report additionally detailed efforts by his workers to discredit a few of his accusers.
“Let’s not lose sight of what is essential,” James mentioned. “It isn’t me. It isn’t Mr Cuomo, however the survivors of his harassment. The individuals of our state whose belief he broke. And the individuals who believed in him, together with myself. Nobody is above the regulation. And our state can do higher shifting ahead,”
James contrasted her investigation with one Cuomo himself ran whereas he was serving as legal professional basic and investigated then-governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in 2008 in a prostitution scandal.
She famous that her investigation began after Cuomo’s workplace referred the allegations to her, was led by outdoors investigators and took 5 months. Cuomo’s investigation of Spitzer, James mentioned, began with out an out of doors referral, took 20 days and was dealt with inside the workplace.
She mentioned her workplace plans to publicly launch transcripts of the 179 individuals interviewed as a part of the probe.
James’ workplace has launched solely excerpts of the interviews. The Related Press filed open information requests in August for full transcripts and recordings of interviews with Cuomo and different witnesses however has but to obtain the supplies.
Wealthy Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo and his longtime spokesperson, referred to as on the legal professional basic to launch these transcripts and a video recording of the previous governor being interviewed by James’ investigators.
“It ought to elevate critical pink flags that the AG and her workers duck each time particular questions on omissions and inaccuracies within the AG’s report are raised. The general public deserves particular solutions from the AG as to the credibility of her report – particularly whereas she mulls a run for governor.”
Earlier than resigning, Cuomo, his legal professional and workers attacked the equity of James’ report on his conduct, together with saying that information confirmed one accuser’s account of being groped on the governor’s mansion could not have occurred throughout the time interval she claimed.
James is taken into account a possible candidate 2022 candidate for New York governor. After giving remarks at Wednesday’s occasion, James dodged a query from the moderator about whether or not she’s going to run, saying: “I’m specializing in my work, placing my head down and serving all of you because the legal professional basic.”
James, chatting with a civic group in New York Metropolis, defended the 165-page report her workplace launched in August that discovered Cuomo sexually harassed a minimum of 11 ladies.
“Mr Cuomo has quite a bit to say on these issues, however he is by no means taken duty for his personal conduct. He is by no means held himself accountable for a way his habits affected our state authorities,” mentioned James, additionally a Democrat.
Cuomo emphatically denied deliberately mistreating ladies. He mentioned he was stepping apart to keep away from subjecting the state to months of turmoil. Since asserting his resignation, he has promoted opinion columns on social media that query the independence of the investigation and counsel his ouster was an orchestrated, political bludgeoning.
“This was politics. Each step of the way in which,” he mentioned in a tweet final week.
The five-month, noncriminal investigation by James’ workplace concluded that 11 ladies inside and outdoors the state authorities have been telling the reality after they mentioned Cuomo had touched them inappropriately, commented on their look or made suggestive feedback about their intercourse lives. The report additionally detailed efforts by his workers to discredit a few of his accusers.
“Let’s not lose sight of what is essential,” James mentioned. “It isn’t me. It isn’t Mr Cuomo, however the survivors of his harassment. The individuals of our state whose belief he broke. And the individuals who believed in him, together with myself. Nobody is above the regulation. And our state can do higher shifting ahead,”
James contrasted her investigation with one Cuomo himself ran whereas he was serving as legal professional basic and investigated then-governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in 2008 in a prostitution scandal.
She famous that her investigation began after Cuomo’s workplace referred the allegations to her, was led by outdoors investigators and took 5 months. Cuomo’s investigation of Spitzer, James mentioned, began with out an out of doors referral, took 20 days and was dealt with inside the workplace.
She mentioned her workplace plans to publicly launch transcripts of the 179 individuals interviewed as a part of the probe.
James’ workplace has launched solely excerpts of the interviews. The Related Press filed open information requests in August for full transcripts and recordings of interviews with Cuomo and different witnesses however has but to obtain the supplies.
Wealthy Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo and his longtime spokesperson, referred to as on the legal professional basic to launch these transcripts and a video recording of the previous governor being interviewed by James’ investigators.
“It ought to elevate critical pink flags that the AG and her workers duck each time particular questions on omissions and inaccuracies within the AG’s report are raised. The general public deserves particular solutions from the AG as to the credibility of her report – particularly whereas she mulls a run for governor.”
Earlier than resigning, Cuomo, his legal professional and workers attacked the equity of James’ report on his conduct, together with saying that information confirmed one accuser’s account of being groped on the governor’s mansion could not have occurred throughout the time interval she claimed.
James is taken into account a possible candidate 2022 candidate for New York governor. After giving remarks at Wednesday’s occasion, James dodged a query from the moderator about whether or not she’s going to run, saying: “I’m specializing in my work, placing my head down and serving all of you because the legal professional basic.”
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