The Key Findings of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Sexual Harassment Report and What’s Next

(CNN) – New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and created a “hostile” work environment for women, according to a report released Tuesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The damning findings of his civil review on the harassment allegations have created a political storm around Cuomo after what has already been a scandal-ridden couple of months for the governor.

President Joe Biden said Cuomo should resign. New York lawmakers from both parties vehemently condemned Cuomo’s conduct and are considering whether further action should be taken against him. Cuomo denies the allegations and has shown no willingness to resign over them.

Here’s what to know about the report and what to expect afterwards:

A pattern of inappropriate behavior and ‘toxic’ culture was identified in the governor’s office

The researchers said they found a “pattern” of inappropriate behavior on Cuomo’s part, which included both “touching and comments of a suggestive and sexual nature.”

In all, Cuomo harassed multiple women, both current and former staff members, and women outside of his office as well. they denounced harassment by the governorthe researchers said.

The accounts of 11 women in total were featured in the report, some of them detailing allegations that had never been made public before. Investigators said their claims were corroborated by other people interviewed, as well as contemporary evidence, such as notes, emails and texts written shortly after the alleged harassment occurred.

The report detailed a “toxic” work environment under the Cuomo administration and said that environment allowed their allegedly harassing behavior to be overlooked. They also highlighted alleged cases of retaliation against the accusers.

“We also found that the culture of the Executive Chamber – one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor’s frequent flirting and gender remarks – contributed to the conditions that allowed sexual harassment to occur and persist,” it said The report.

Numerous reports of unwanted contacts

Several women told investigators that Cuomo touched them unwantedly, according to the report. One of them, a state trooper who served on Cuomo’s protective detachment, said Cuomo once ran a finger across her neck and back while they were in an elevator. On another occasion, he ran his hand from her navel to her right hip as she held the door for him, according to the report.

Another accuser, identified as “Executive Assistant 1” in the report, told investigators that Cuomo grabbed her buttocks during hugs and a photo. The report also details an allegation, previously reported by the Albany Times Union, of an incident at the governor’s mansion in which Cuomo allegedly reached under her blouse and grabbed her breast. A separate accuser referred to in the report as an “employee of a state entity,” said Cuomo put his hand on her, touched her buttocks, and then grabbed her buttocks, while they were at a September event. 2019, according to the report.

A woman named Anna Ruch said Cuomo touched a part of her back exposed by a cut in her dress, according to the report. When she grabbed his wrist to move his hands, he responded, “Wow, you’re aggressive,” according to the report. Too she was photographed looking uncomfortable with Cuomo’s hands on his face.

Several of the accusers told investigators that Cuomo made inappropriate comments to them, including questions about their sexual histories, comments about their appearance, and nicknames such as “sweetie” or “sweetheart.”

Cuomo responds and shows no intention of resigning

In a broadcast response released shortly after the report was released, Cuomo gave no indication that he planned to resign.

“I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo said. The governor touted his cooperation in the attorney general’s investigation, but repeatedly suggested it was biased and tainted with politics.

While he directly denied some of the conduct, such as the alleged groping incident at the governor’s mansion office, he claimed that other aspects of his behavior described the report as being taken out of context.

The governor’s office intermingled in its statement photos of Cuomo hugging, kissing and hugging several people

“I kiss people on the forehead, I kiss people on the cheeks, I kiss people on the hand,” he said, while claiming that his “everyday interactions” with New Yorkers were being “unfairly” portrayed.

Cuomo claimed “generational or cultural” perspectives that he was still learning to understand, and vowed that “we are making changes.”

An 85-page document his office released Tuesday in response to the allegations also included photos of the governor hugging or kissing prominent political figures, including Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The evidence presented by the researchers is “overwhelming”

The investigation, led by investigators tapped from outside of James’ office, began earlier this year, and investigators spoke to 179 people, including New York State police officers, state employees and others who “regularly interacted with” him. governor. The governor himself sat down for an interview, as did his brother Chris Cuomo, a CNN host.

Investigators also reviewed 74,000 pieces of evidence, including notes, emails and other communications commemorating the allegations.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Anne Clark, a lawyer leading the investigation, said her team had found the testimonies of the 11 women credible, while pointing out the varying degrees of corroboration that supported their accounts.

The evidence presented in the report was “overwhelming,” CNN legal analyst Elie Honig told CNN Newsroom.

“It’s really devastating,” Honig said, then added that “we didn’t hear anything from the governor about the very well-founded retaliation allegations against some of these women that came out.”

Can Cuomo survive?

Tuesday’s report was damning, and Cuomo’s response, which shows a video montage of the governor kissing and touching the faces of men and women, young and old, surely made matters worse.

The political question is whether a defiant Cuomo can survive while his political allies disappear.

If he chooses to run for a fourth term next year, he will likely face a tough challenge in the Democratic primary. Attorney General James, who was once an ally of Cuomo and oversaw Tuesday’s report, would be a formidable potential opponent. New York State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a former Cuomo employee, is also in what could be a long list of potential challengers.

Cuomo also faces problems with the state legislature, where a committee is conducting an impeachment examination. State Senate Majority Leader Andrew Stewart-Cousins ​​said in a statement that Cuomo “can no longer serve as governor.”

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Tuesday night that Cuomo “lost the confidence of the Democratic majority in the Assembly” and “can no longer remain in office.”

National Democrats ditch Cuomo

As Cuomo staggers in New York, National Democrats were quick to distance themselves from him.

New York Democratic Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement calling the report’s findings “deeply disturbing, inappropriate and completely unacceptable” and reiterated their March call for Cuomo to resign. . Other New York lawmakers similarly said that the third-term governor must go, including Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the political group tasked with protecting the party’s majority in the midterm elections. of 2022.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime ally of the Cuomo family, also said the governor should resign.

Biden’s declaration that Cuomo should resign is probably the final signal for Democrats to stay away from the governor of New York.

Are there legal consequences for Cuomo?

At the press conference, James reiterated that his investigation was civil in nature and that there would be no criminal action by the office that would follow. “Our work is done,” James said.

Still, investigators said Cuomo’s violated both state and federal law. Clark, the lawyer leading the investigation, alluded to the possibility of a civil lawsuit by the complainants. He also noted that the information had been “fully documented” in the report and was available for other prosecutors to review if they were considering taking further action.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares said in a statement that his office was “formally requesting investigative materials obtained by the Attorney General’s Office.”

“We welcome any victim to contact our office with additional information,” said Soares.

CNN’s Mark Morales contributed to this report.