The TLDR: The New York attorney general's office issued a report with graphic details of how the state’s governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women. It is a shocking example of how powerful men can abuse women—brazenly, repeatedly and over decades—while holding public office.

What does the report say?

The report is the result of a months-long investigation by the attorney general’s office into allegations of sexual harassment—and is based on interviews with 179 witnesses and tens of thousands of documents. In sum, here’s what it found: 

• Cuomo harassed members of his own staff, members of the public and other state employees. 
• He engaged in “non-consensual touching, groping, kissing and hugging, and made inappropriate comments toward numerous women.” 
• It also concluded that the governor’s denials “lack credibility” and were “inconsistent with the weight of the evidence” gathered throughout the probe.

It includes detailed and graphic accounts from victims who reveal a man unafraid of consequences:

• In the case of a staffer dubbed Executive Assistant #1, he kissed her on the lips at least once, grabbed her buttocks during hugs, asked multiple times about whether she had cheated or would cheat on her husband, and once reached under her blouse to grab her breast.
• Cuomo even harassed a New York state policewoman assigned to his security detail on a number of occasions. Cuomo ran "his hand across her stomach, from her belly button to her right hip" as she held a door open. She said it made her feel "completely violated because to me, like that's between my chest and my privates."
• He continually propositioned a close aide by making repeated sexual innuendos. In a single conversation, he asked her if she was monogamous, if she would date an older man, if her previous sexual assault affected her attraction to men, and that she should get a tattoo on her butt.
• Cuomo’s misbehaviour often took place in plain sight—for example, during a photo-op when he touched a woman’s "butt, tapped it twice, and then grabbed her butt."
• To an aide being scratched by his dog, he said: "Well, if I was the dog, I'd mount you too." He also repeatedly touched various parts of her body. And when she went public in December, Cuomo’s office launched a smear campaign—”including by disseminating to the press confidential internal documents that painted her in a negative light.”

Big point to note: We often overlook how men who sexually prey on women also foster an abusive workplace—using a ‘carrot and stick' approach to keep them in line:

“Women that investigators spoke with said they were either on the end of the governor's inappropriate comments or they were being yelled at or berated. ‘Many of the complainants described being uncomfortable with the Governor's flirtatious advances while also perceiving such behavior as a sign that they were favored – and spared from being yelled at, ignored, or otherwise mistreated by the Governor instead,’ the report says.”

What is Cuomo saying?

He put out a 14-odd minute video claiming his innocence, insisting: “That is just not who I am, and that’s not who I have ever been.” The essence of his defence: I am just an affectionate, touchy-feely guy who kisses and hugs everyone—and his innocent gestures have been misinterpreted or mischaracterized. And as evidence, he also includes a montage of photos doing exactly that with men, women and children (skip to the 7-minute mark). 

And he has bluntly refused to resign—much like President Bill Clinton and Candidate Donald Trump before him. As CNN notes, “The playbook Clinton and Trump wrote, and which Cuomo appears to be following, goes something like this: deny, deflect, do not resign or back down.”

So what happens next?

Resignation: Unlike in the case of Clinton, almost all the prominent Democrats have abandoned Cuomo. President Biden plainly said: “I think he should resign.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi agrees, as do three House members from New York. A joint statement of Democratic governors of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and New Jersey declared: “We are appalled at the findings of the independent investigation by the New York Attorney General. Governor Cuomo should resign from office.”  Whatever happens next, it is impossible that the party will allow Cuomo to run for a fourth term. His political career is as good as over.

Impeachment: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that if Cuomo does not resign, he should be impeached by the New York legislature ASAP. And that is likely to happen. The Speaker of the state assembly—who has launched a separate impeachment probe—indicated that members will undertake an “in-depth examination of the report,” adding: "The conduct by the Governor outlined in this report would indicate someone who is not fit for office." And with Democrats throwing him to the curb, it is unlikely that Cuomo will survive an impeachment vote—unless, of course, he steps down first.

Legal jeopardy: The attorney general's report does not recommend any kind of action against the governor—and remains strictly a fact-finding document. But state prosecutors in Albany, NY, are already looking into “any allegations that rise to the level of criminal conduct.” None of the women have lodged an official complaint as yet, but that could change as well. But these are likely to be civil suits as it’s hard to make criminal charges stick in sexual harassment cases—and establish them beyond reasonable doubt, say legal experts:

“Our criminal laws don’t cover much of what sexual harassment is, at least in the workplace… It’s a fact that this workplace touching and groping is not usually criminally prosecuted. Whether or not that’s the way it should be is a separate issue.”

A female governor? If Cuomo does step down or is impeached, he will be replaced by Lt Governor Kathy Hochul—who would become the first woman governor of New York. She has so far condemned the “repulsive and unlawful behavior by the governor”—but has not called for his resignation yet.

The bottomline: Here we go again…

Reading list

New York Times, CNN and Wall Street Journal offer useful overviews of the report and the fallout. US News and NBC News have very good summaries of the allegations. CNN has a good op-ed on the shamelessness of politicians who prey on women. New York Times looks at the legal trouble ahead for Cuomo.