Following an eight-month impeachment investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Assembly announced the overwhelming evidence that the former governor engaged in sexual harassment in a 46-page report. The Assembly Judiciary Committee also found that Mr. Cuomo used state workers and other public resources to write, publish, and promote his memoir about his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a likely violation of state ethics laws.
The report largely reinforced previous findings by Attorney General Letitia James, who spoke with 11 accusers for her investigation. It also added another person: a married mother of three from Greece, New York, who publicly stated that the former governor manhandled her while he toured her home following severe flooding in the area.
The accuser said former Gov. Cuomo grabbed her hand and kissed her on both cheeks, told her she was beautiful, and then did it again as he was leaving her home. He sent her signed pictures from his tour of her home, and his office invited her to events the governor was hosting, but none of the other family members that were with her for his tour were invited.
The New York state legislative investigation lists her for the first time as one of the former governor’s accusers.
On another allegation against Cuomo, that he had not been honest with the public about the number of people dying of Covid-19, the legislative investigation concluded that he “was not fully transparent regarding the number of nursing home residents who died as a result of Covid-19.” One committee member said that an inference could be made that his administration’s manipulation of nursing home death numbers was connected to his $5.1 million book deal, for “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.”
At the end of October, the first criminal charges were filed against the former governor for forcible touching, by an ex-staffer.
The charge, a misdemeanor, was filed in Albany City Court. This criminal charge could send him to jail for a year if convicted.
Every employee has the right to a harassment-free work environment, rights that are protected on both the federal and state level by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as state criminal codes. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the definition of sexual harassment means unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with an employee’s work performance.
The Philadelphia employment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C., advocate for employees who have been subjected to a sexually harassing workplace. Call today at 215-569-1999 or complete an online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey, the firm proudly serves clients throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey, including Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Northeast Philadelphia, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, and Montgomery County.
