

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.


Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced Monday evening, in the wake of news reporting in which he was accused of assault and sexual violence, that he will resign his post, effective end of work day on Tuesday. (Photo: Getty)
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced his resignation, effective Tuesday, after reporting in The New Yorker Monday evening included on-the-record accusations of assault and sexual violence against the prominent politician and highly-visible Democrat by former several women who had previously been in relationships with him.
Written by investigative journalists Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow, the news story offered a devastating portrayal of Schneiderman's private life that showed him as someone with a habit of drinking alcohol to excess and pattern of behavior, alleged his victims, in which "he repeatedly hit them, often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with their consent."
In addition to incidents of assault, some of the women said that Schneiderman threatened them--either with physical harm or that he would turn the powers of his office against them.
"The actions of NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are horrific," declared Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, in response to the story. "This is unacceptable in any scenario, but especially when the abuser is the chief law enforcement officer for the State of New York." Thomas' group called on the AG to resign immediately.
Just hours after the story broke, Schneiderman did exactly that and announced his resignation.
"It has been my great honor and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York," Schneiderman said in a statement late Monday. "In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me. While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office's work at this critical time."
As the state's AG, Schneiderman has become a national figure pushing high-profile cases and become an outspoken--and legally potent--critic of the Trump administration. In addition to fighting for women's rights--including his role in prosecuting a case against Harvey Weinstein in the wake of sexual assault allegations that led to the powerful film producer's downfall--Schneiderman has also been a leading voice within the Democratic Party's apparatus of pushing for holding powerful fossil fuel companies accountable for the climate crisis and combating the influence of large corporations with lawsuits and other legal actions.
None of that, however, protected Schneiderman from the shock and outrage from progressives in New York Democratic circles and beyond:
With Schneiderman out, it didn't take long for people to begin contemplating his possible replacement:
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced his resignation, effective Tuesday, after reporting in The New Yorker Monday evening included on-the-record accusations of assault and sexual violence against the prominent politician and highly-visible Democrat by former several women who had previously been in relationships with him.
Written by investigative journalists Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow, the news story offered a devastating portrayal of Schneiderman's private life that showed him as someone with a habit of drinking alcohol to excess and pattern of behavior, alleged his victims, in which "he repeatedly hit them, often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with their consent."
In addition to incidents of assault, some of the women said that Schneiderman threatened them--either with physical harm or that he would turn the powers of his office against them.
"The actions of NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are horrific," declared Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, in response to the story. "This is unacceptable in any scenario, but especially when the abuser is the chief law enforcement officer for the State of New York." Thomas' group called on the AG to resign immediately.
Just hours after the story broke, Schneiderman did exactly that and announced his resignation.
"It has been my great honor and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York," Schneiderman said in a statement late Monday. "In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me. While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office's work at this critical time."
As the state's AG, Schneiderman has become a national figure pushing high-profile cases and become an outspoken--and legally potent--critic of the Trump administration. In addition to fighting for women's rights--including his role in prosecuting a case against Harvey Weinstein in the wake of sexual assault allegations that led to the powerful film producer's downfall--Schneiderman has also been a leading voice within the Democratic Party's apparatus of pushing for holding powerful fossil fuel companies accountable for the climate crisis and combating the influence of large corporations with lawsuits and other legal actions.
None of that, however, protected Schneiderman from the shock and outrage from progressives in New York Democratic circles and beyond:
With Schneiderman out, it didn't take long for people to begin contemplating his possible replacement:
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has announced his resignation, effective Tuesday, after reporting in The New Yorker Monday evening included on-the-record accusations of assault and sexual violence against the prominent politician and highly-visible Democrat by former several women who had previously been in relationships with him.
Written by investigative journalists Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow, the news story offered a devastating portrayal of Schneiderman's private life that showed him as someone with a habit of drinking alcohol to excess and pattern of behavior, alleged his victims, in which "he repeatedly hit them, often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with their consent."
In addition to incidents of assault, some of the women said that Schneiderman threatened them--either with physical harm or that he would turn the powers of his office against them.
"The actions of NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are horrific," declared Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, in response to the story. "This is unacceptable in any scenario, but especially when the abuser is the chief law enforcement officer for the State of New York." Thomas' group called on the AG to resign immediately.
Just hours after the story broke, Schneiderman did exactly that and announced his resignation.
"It has been my great honor and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York," Schneiderman said in a statement late Monday. "In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me. While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office's work at this critical time."
As the state's AG, Schneiderman has become a national figure pushing high-profile cases and become an outspoken--and legally potent--critic of the Trump administration. In addition to fighting for women's rights--including his role in prosecuting a case against Harvey Weinstein in the wake of sexual assault allegations that led to the powerful film producer's downfall--Schneiderman has also been a leading voice within the Democratic Party's apparatus of pushing for holding powerful fossil fuel companies accountable for the climate crisis and combating the influence of large corporations with lawsuits and other legal actions.
None of that, however, protected Schneiderman from the shock and outrage from progressives in New York Democratic circles and beyond:
With Schneiderman out, it didn't take long for people to begin contemplating his possible replacement: