The governor of New York, Andrew Como, harassed multiple women for years, according to the Prosecutor's Office

New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a press conference.Richard Drew / AP

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democratic Party heavyweight whose name has consistently sounded like a possible presidential candidate, sexually harassed multiple women for years and retaliated against anyone who complained, a comprehensive independent investigation commissioned by the US Attorney's Office has concluded. as a result of the first public complaints, which emerged in February. Cuomo's actions include physical abuse, comments, and intimidation to deter complaints; they violate federal and state laws, leaving this patrician of American politics, son of famed Governor Mario Cuomo and brother of CNN star Chris Cuomo, with little chance of moving forward. Until now, he has always denied the accusations and has refused to resign despite pressure from his own party.

The investigations have lasted for five months and have been carried out by two independent lawyers who have interviewed 179 people, reviewed 74,000 materials (emails, documents, messages, photographs) and interrogated the governor himself for 11 hours.

The resulting 165-page document describes a toxic environment of “fear and intimidation”, ideal for committing abuses with impunity.

Joon H. Kim, one of the two lawyers leading the case, stressed in a press conference: "Our investigation has revealed that these were not isolated incidents, but were part of a pattern of behavior."

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The press conference was devastating. The attorney general, Letitia James, took the floor, calling the revelations obtained "disturbing" and saying that the governor of New York had committed crimes - "he has violated state and federal laws," she said. investigation is civil and some episodes have prescribed, leaving Cuomo in an impossible position. The investigators then detailed several of the cases. The report includes some acquaintances through the complaints that were made public in February, but also new ones, such as that of a policewoman who requested to have at her service.

Cuomo, 63, lived a 2020 of media glory due to his great communication skills in the crisis of the pandemic, but between the end of that year and the beginning of 2021 two serious crises began to emerge: the data falsified to hide the mismanagement of nursing homes and the first public complaints of harassment.

In March, a dozen Democratic lawmakers from New York, including prominent Chuck Schumer, Senate Leader Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler called for his resignation.

Cuomo defended his innocence and called for an independent investigation.

The conclusions of this have just been made public.

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