/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/610885fe49b98a995e1910e1/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=5034&cropY1=765&cropY2=3597 "Cuomo Reportedly Questioned For 11 Hours As Sexual Harassment Probe Wraps Up")
Topline
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was reportedly subjected to 11 hours of questioning last month by investigators leading a probe into allegations of sexual misconduct according to the New York Times, believed to be one of the final steps of the months-long investigation.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a press conference to discuss the first positive case … [+]
Key Facts
Sources told the Times Cuomo was questioned July 17 in a conference room in his 39th-floor office suite in Manhattan by Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark, two outside attorneys who have been tasked with leading the investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The newspaper described some moments of the interview as “tense,” with Cuomo allegedly confronting Kim about previous investigations and questioning his objectivity.
Because it’s part of an ongoing investigation, state law dictates that the interview be kept confidential, but five sources “briefed on the encounter” talked to the Times on the condition that their identities be kept anonymous.
The inquiry is believed to be on track to finish this summer, according to the Times, after which investigators will publish a much-anticipated report that could irretrievably damage Cuomo’s political career.
Cuomo denies all allegations of sexual misconduct, although he did issue an apology in February for any comments that may have been “insensitive or too personal.”
Cuomo’s office and investigators did not immediately return requests for comment from Forbes.
Tangent
Cuomo is also facing an investigation into allegations his aides knowingly underreported nursing home coronavirus deaths and an inquiry into whether he misused state resources when writing and promoting his $5 million memoir, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Key Background
The governor’s former advisor Lindsey Boylan was the first to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment in a viral Twitter thread late last year. Since then, 10 other women have accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct, most of whom worked in politics. Cuomo has faced calls to resign, even from members of his own Democratic Party.
Further Reading
Cuomo Grilled for 11 Hours in Sexual Harassment Inquiry (New York Times)
Cuomo Will Reportedly Be Interviewed By Investigators Over Sexual Harassment Allegations (Forbes)
