THREE REASONS: Political, Civil & Criminal! WHY GOV. CUOMO MUST RESIGN IMMEDIATELY!

05 Aug THREE REASONS: Political, Civil & Criminal! WHY GOV. CUOMO MUST RESIGN IMMEDIATELY!

NEW YORK – In one of the most explosive sexual harassment allegations in the country, the New York Attorney General’s office issued a scathing report today concluding that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo did sexually harass at least 11 women.

“The independent investigation has concluded and found that Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed current and former New York state employees by engaging in unwelcomed and non-consensual touching and making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women,” New York Attorney General Letitia James stated without any hesitation at a press conference.

Cuomo has repeatedly denied nearly all of the allegations, but strangely claims instead something of a “generational” issue with being out of touch with today’s norms and committed to sexual harassment training immediately after the report was released.

Training or not, this is all problematic for three serious reasons for the Governor: political, civil, and criminal issues that arise.

First, the political ramifications for Cuomo, who was once considered a Democratic nominee for the White House, are career-ending.

In essence, Attorney General Letitia James has told the General Assembly politicians on both sides of the aisle, I have hired the best independent investigators and they have proven a pattern of systemic harassment in the Governor’s office.

The appointed investigators who delivered the explosive 165-page report were Attorneys Joon Hyun Kim and Anne L. Clark, appointed in March to prepare their findings. Attorney Kim was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District and formerly served as the chief of the criminal division. Attorney Clark is a partner in a New York firm and has over three decades of experience in handling discrimination, harassment, whistle-blower, and employment cases similar to the allegations made here.

The investigators reviewed text messages, emails, photos, audio files, contemporaneous notes, documents and canvassed 74,000 pieces of evidence that will allow the state lawmakers to either impeach and mount serious political pressure on Cuomo.

And, if the political destruction wasn’t enough, today has opened the windfall for civil lawsuits.

Like Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein, the women will file suit immediately. Others, will feel validated by this report and not worry about the governor’s title.

“These brave women stepped forward to speak truth to power and in doing so, they expressed faith in the belief that although the governor may be powerful…the truth is even more so,” said Attorney Kim. “And this is what lies at the heart of our investigation and the findings of our report.”

Under certain New York laws, the women would have three years. But with allegations of a hostile work environment, if one of the acts happened during the statutory period, a plaintiff can go all the way back to the first incident for legal action.

But, the political demise and civil lawsuits are not the only problems for Cuomo, the last big issues relate to criminal action. Police departments, local prosecutors, or district attorneys could see this report and say we are going to review the criminality of unwanted touching or groping. Reportedly, one complaint is already filed with the Albany Police Department.

Given the political, civil, and criminal issues here, there is no way Governor Cuomo can remain in office and really lead New York’s 20 million people.

And someone please tell him to stop all of these faux pas, “Gosh, it’s generational and I didn’t know in this culture you can’t act that way with women…” nonsense.

Did he miss the Anita Hill Hearings?

Did he miss the Bill Clinton scandals?

Did he miss the Brett Kavanaugh hearings for the Supreme Court?

Or simply put, has anyone shared the words #MeToo with him.

As an attorney handling numerous #MeToo cases and allegations of harassment or hostile workplace by clients, this is always the go-to male response: “I was just unaware of the current way my behavior is perceived nowadays” or “In my generation, you could do this….”

Spare us Governor and step down before it all goes down…downhill that is!

It will be virtually impossible for the governor to effectively lead a state, an office, a staff, a woman! All credibility is lost here!

The Attorney General said it best when she closed her press conference with a salute to the women and warning to the governor.

“None of this would have been illuminated if not for the heroic women who came forward,” Attorney James noted. “And I am inspired by all the brave women, but more importantly, I believe them and I thank them for their bravery.”

As for Cuomo, “At this point we are going to allow the chips to fall where they may,” she concluded.

I think we all know when those “chips fall” the Governor of New York will have 99 problems and needs to just resign.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

James L. Walker, Jr. is an Attorney based in Georgia. He runs a full-service general practice law firm. He’s handled a number of cases in the sports and entertainment industries and deals with several cases of harassment, discrimination, and related legal issues. He is an author, professor, and regular TV legal analyst. He can be found at www.walkerandassoc.com or you can email him at jjwalker@walkerandassoc.com