A state Assembly committee investigating sexual harassment claims against Democrat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has found “overwhelming evidence” he engaged in sexual harassment, according to the New York Post.
The report, which was finalized Friday, states the conduct in question would be referred to the courts, not Cuomo himself. Cuomo claimed the allegations were made by a disgruntled former staffer.
The 25-page report is expected to be made public Tuesday, according to the New York Post.
State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua) called on Cuomo to take disciplinary action against the governor’s former chief of staff over the allegations, according to the newspaper.
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“I cannot comment on confidential contents of a report, but I can say that, first, I believe in due process for all — including the governor’s staff — and second, as a general principle, I have zero tolerance for sexual harassment of any kind,” Kolb said in a statement, according to the New York Post.
Other legislators also called for Cuomo to take disciplinary action.
“Such a huge rush to judgment and it’s unacceptable,” said Assemblyman Sean Ryan (D-Buffalo), according to the New York Post. “I think the committee and the speaker should have been waiting on some paperwork, some contracts, like a bill that says, ‘Here’s a mechanism.’ And then we get the testimony and we don’t get any of that. I don’t think anybody, including the speaker, has any real time to digest.”
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“I think Mr. Cuomo’s top advisers have reaped a huge benefit because they have been able to outsmart these lawmakers and hold them hostage,” Jameson Doig, author of “Pomp and Circumstance: The Almanac of New York Politics,” told Fox News’ Charles Hurt. “So, they managed to get six Democrats to rule the assembly. As for the governor, it is finally clear that he has very little to say in this whole thing.”
New York assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz (D-Bronx) also called on Cuomo to act on the report, according to the New York Post.
Cuomo reportedly responded in a statement.
“Unfortunately the report does not contain clear and convincing evidence to prove that I engaged in any form of sexual harassment,” he said. “The committee identified some questionable circumstances during the settlement discussions. As the report itself acknowledges, there was no mention of any incident or any claims that this individual used any inappropriate language in or outside of the workplace.
“In fact, during the time period covered by the settlement, there was no similar complaint filed with this office regarding this same individual. The committee also stated there was no allegation made by any other agency or organization, either within the state or outside, that corroborated any of the evidence uncovered by the committee.”