The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) executive chamber, following New York attorney general Letitia James’ report in August that the disgraced governor sexually harassed multiple women, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
According to the Journal, lawyers working for the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York’s Civil Division sent a letter to state officials in August about their probe into employment policies in the executive chamber, which includes the governor and his top aides and advisers.
The federal review into Cuomo was opened shortly after James’ report found a series of incidents of alleged misconduct by the former governor involving at least 11 women. Following James’ findings, Cuomo resigned in August, avoiding a brewing impeachment trial.
Cuomo previously accused James’ report of being politically motivated while denying allegations of sexual harassment.
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, on Thursday told WSJ that the former governor understands that the Civil Division opened an inquiry in August “based upon the AG’s politically motivated sham report and we have heard nothing since.”
In addition to the New York attorney’s general report, the New York State Assembly released a report last month finding “overwhelming evidence” that the former governor sexually harassed women. The report also found that he misused state resources to help produce his book and that his office was “not fully transparent” in a report about nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last October, Cuomo was charged with a misdemeanor sex crime by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly touching or placing his hand under an unidentified woman’s blouse and groping her in the governor’s mansion.
