New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women including current and former state employees, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday, announcing the outcome of a nearly-five month investigation into the matter.
The probe looked into the allegations by 11 women who came forward about their experiences with the governor and concluded that the accounts of all 11 were credible.
Cuomo harassed them by "engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching as well as making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women," the report said.
The development is likely to put pressure on Cuomo to step down, although he denies the allegations and refuses to quit.
Cuomo, who took office in 2011, enjoyed a surge in popularity last year for his response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which included daily press conferences for more than 100 days in a row as New York became the U.S. state hardest hit by the virus in the early stage of the health crisis.
At the same time, he drew criticism for failing to impose lockdown measures quickly enough to prevent significant virus spread and for allegedly underreporting coronavirus deaths in elderly care facilities in the state.
After the release of the report, President Joe Biden called on the governor to step down. "I think he should resign," he told reporters at the White House.
Cuomo's late father Mario Cuomo also served as New York governor from 1983 to 1994.
