SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a press conference before the opening of a mass Covid-19 vaccination site in the Queens borough of New York, on February 24, 2021. (Photo: Seth Wenig / Pool / AFP via Getty Images)
AOC Among NY Lawmakers Saying Gov. Cuomo Cannot Hand-Pick Investigator Into Allegations Against Him
"With all due respect," echoed N.Y. State Sen. Liz Krueger, "you can't pick a federal judge who works with your good friend and decide that that's going to be the investigator,"
Feb 27, 2021
"There must be an independent investigation--not one led by an individual selected by the Governor, but by the office of the Attorney General."
That was the reaction Sunday morning from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) following a second former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo coming forward Saturday with accusations of sexual harassment and after the governor in response announced a state investigation into the claims would be led by hand-picked choice: Barbara Jones, a former judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Just days after Lindsay Boylan issued a detailed account of the sexual harassment and abuse--including an unwanted kiss--by Cuomo, a second former staffer, Charlotte Bennett, came forward publicly Saturday to say that she too was a victim of Cuomo's behavior.
As the New York Times reports, Ocasio-Cortez is not the only lawmaker in the state raising concerns about Cuomo being the one to pick the lead investigator of a probe into his alleged behavior:
Many of those elected officials -- including the leaders of the State Senate and Assembly--seemed skeptical of Mr. Cuomo's decision to appoint a former federal judge with close ties to one of Mr. Cuomo's longtime allies to conduct a "full and thorough outside review."
"I believe the Attorney General should make an appointment to ensure that it is a truly independent investigation," Carl E. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, wrote on Twitter, referring to the state attorney general, Letitia James.
A small handful of lawmakers from the Democratic Party's leftmost flank joined with some Republicans to demand that Mr. Cuomo immediately resign.
Cuomo--far from resigning--has denied the accusations levied by Boylan and Bennett, and on Saturday issued a statement in support of a probe.
"I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate," Cuomo said. "This situation cannot and should not be resolved in the press. I believe the best way to get to the truth is through a full and thorough outside review, and I am directing all state employees to comply with that effort."
But critics say it's outlandish that Cuomo should have any say over how the probe is conducted.
"With all due respect, you can't pick a federal judge who works with your good friend and decide that that's going to be the investigator," said State Sen. Liz Krueger, who represents Manhattan.
State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-13) issued a statement late Saturday also calling for a truly independent review.
"Charlotte Bennett's accounts of sexual harassment are believable," said Ramos. "So are Lindsay Boylan's. We must listen to women when they bravely come forward and investigate fully."
Like others, Ramos said any investigation "must be completely separate and wall-off from the Governor, his office, his Administration, or any oversight panel where he makes appointments or wields influence."
"Nothing but a completely independent investigation of these credible allegations of sexual harassment in the office of the Governor is acceptable," she said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in Sunday.
"Allegations of sexual harassment should always be taken seriously," James said in a tweet. "There must be a truly independent investigation to thoroughly review these troubling allegations against the governor, and I stand ready to oversee that investigation and make any appointments necessary."
"Given state law," she continued, "this can only be accomplished through an official referral from the governor's office and must include subpoena power. I urge the governor to make this referral immediately."
The charges of sexual misconduct and harassment come as Gov. Cuomo is also under fire for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York, including efforts he made to insulate nursing home operators from liability protections even as residents in such facilities were at deadly risk from the spread of the virus last year.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
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 |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
"There must be an independent investigation--not one led by an individual selected by the Governor, but by the office of the Attorney General."
That was the reaction Sunday morning from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) following a second former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo coming forward Saturday with accusations of sexual harassment and after the governor in response announced a state investigation into the claims would be led by hand-picked choice: Barbara Jones, a former judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Just days after Lindsay Boylan issued a detailed account of the sexual harassment and abuse--including an unwanted kiss--by Cuomo, a second former staffer, Charlotte Bennett, came forward publicly Saturday to say that she too was a victim of Cuomo's behavior.
As the New York Times reports, Ocasio-Cortez is not the only lawmaker in the state raising concerns about Cuomo being the one to pick the lead investigator of a probe into his alleged behavior:
Many of those elected officials -- including the leaders of the State Senate and Assembly--seemed skeptical of Mr. Cuomo's decision to appoint a former federal judge with close ties to one of Mr. Cuomo's longtime allies to conduct a "full and thorough outside review."
"I believe the Attorney General should make an appointment to ensure that it is a truly independent investigation," Carl E. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, wrote on Twitter, referring to the state attorney general, Letitia James.
A small handful of lawmakers from the Democratic Party's leftmost flank joined with some Republicans to demand that Mr. Cuomo immediately resign.
Cuomo--far from resigning--has denied the accusations levied by Boylan and Bennett, and on Saturday issued a statement in support of a probe.
"I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate," Cuomo said. "This situation cannot and should not be resolved in the press. I believe the best way to get to the truth is through a full and thorough outside review, and I am directing all state employees to comply with that effort."
But critics say it's outlandish that Cuomo should have any say over how the probe is conducted.
"With all due respect, you can't pick a federal judge who works with your good friend and decide that that's going to be the investigator," said State Sen. Liz Krueger, who represents Manhattan.
State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-13) issued a statement late Saturday also calling for a truly independent review.
"Charlotte Bennett's accounts of sexual harassment are believable," said Ramos. "So are Lindsay Boylan's. We must listen to women when they bravely come forward and investigate fully."
Like others, Ramos said any investigation "must be completely separate and wall-off from the Governor, his office, his Administration, or any oversight panel where he makes appointments or wields influence."
"Nothing but a completely independent investigation of these credible allegations of sexual harassment in the office of the Governor is acceptable," she said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in Sunday.
"Allegations of sexual harassment should always be taken seriously," James said in a tweet. "There must be a truly independent investigation to thoroughly review these troubling allegations against the governor, and I stand ready to oversee that investigation and make any appointments necessary."
"Given state law," she continued, "this can only be accomplished through an official referral from the governor's office and must include subpoena power. I urge the governor to make this referral immediately."
The charges of sexual misconduct and harassment come as Gov. Cuomo is also under fire for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York, including efforts he made to insulate nursing home operators from liability protections even as residents in such facilities were at deadly risk from the spread of the virus last year.
"There must be an independent investigation--not one led by an individual selected by the Governor, but by the office of the Attorney General."
That was the reaction Sunday morning from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) following a second former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo coming forward Saturday with accusations of sexual harassment and after the governor in response announced a state investigation into the claims would be led by hand-picked choice: Barbara Jones, a former judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Just days after Lindsay Boylan issued a detailed account of the sexual harassment and abuse--including an unwanted kiss--by Cuomo, a second former staffer, Charlotte Bennett, came forward publicly Saturday to say that she too was a victim of Cuomo's behavior.
As the New York Times reports, Ocasio-Cortez is not the only lawmaker in the state raising concerns about Cuomo being the one to pick the lead investigator of a probe into his alleged behavior:
Many of those elected officials -- including the leaders of the State Senate and Assembly--seemed skeptical of Mr. Cuomo's decision to appoint a former federal judge with close ties to one of Mr. Cuomo's longtime allies to conduct a "full and thorough outside review."
"I believe the Attorney General should make an appointment to ensure that it is a truly independent investigation," Carl E. Heastie, the Assembly speaker, wrote on Twitter, referring to the state attorney general, Letitia James.
A small handful of lawmakers from the Democratic Party's leftmost flank joined with some Republicans to demand that Mr. Cuomo immediately resign.
Cuomo--far from resigning--has denied the accusations levied by Boylan and Bennett, and on Saturday issued a statement in support of a probe.
"I never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate," Cuomo said. "This situation cannot and should not be resolved in the press. I believe the best way to get to the truth is through a full and thorough outside review, and I am directing all state employees to comply with that effort."
But critics say it's outlandish that Cuomo should have any say over how the probe is conducted.
"With all due respect, you can't pick a federal judge who works with your good friend and decide that that's going to be the investigator," said State Sen. Liz Krueger, who represents Manhattan.
State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-13) issued a statement late Saturday also calling for a truly independent review.
"Charlotte Bennett's accounts of sexual harassment are believable," said Ramos. "So are Lindsay Boylan's. We must listen to women when they bravely come forward and investigate fully."
Like others, Ramos said any investigation "must be completely separate and wall-off from the Governor, his office, his Administration, or any oversight panel where he makes appointments or wields influence."
"Nothing but a completely independent investigation of these credible allegations of sexual harassment in the office of the Governor is acceptable," she said.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in Sunday.
"Allegations of sexual harassment should always be taken seriously," James said in a tweet. "There must be a truly independent investigation to thoroughly review these troubling allegations against the governor, and I stand ready to oversee that investigation and make any appointments necessary."
"Given state law," she continued, "this can only be accomplished through an official referral from the governor's office and must include subpoena power. I urge the governor to make this referral immediately."
The charges of sexual misconduct and harassment come as Gov. Cuomo is also under fire for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York, including efforts he made to insulate nursing home operators from liability protections even as residents in such facilities were at deadly risk from the spread of the virus last year.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.