August 3, 2021 Gov. Andrew Cuomo investigation

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul called the details documented in the attorney general's investigation "repulsive and unlawful behavior" by the governor, in a statement today.

"No one is above the law. Under the New York Constitution, the Assembly will now determine the next steps," she said. An impeachment inquiry is ongoing by the assembly's judiciary committee.

Hochul added that because she is next in line to become governor, "it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the process at this moment."

Read her statement here:

An attorney for two women who have accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of abusive behavior responded to the New York attorney general’s report, saying Cuomo’s “misogyny and abuse cannot be denied.”

Attorney Mariann Wang said the report “is extraordinarily thorough and detailed, and finds the governor repeatedly engaged in unlawful behavior.”

The attorney represents Alyssa McGrath, who still works for the governor, and Virginia Limmiatis, who says she was subjected to unwanted touching in 2017.

Wang said the report confirms Cuomo engaged in “profoundly humiliating and abusive behavior towards women who worked for and with him, including touching their intimate body parts without consent.”

“And more even than that, Cuomo and those around him punished anyone who dared to come forward and report his behavior,” Wang added.

“He should not be in charge of our government and should not be in any position of power over anyone else," she said.

Cuomo has denied ever touching anyone inappropriately.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares released a statement Tuesday saying that his office will request investigative materials from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office regarding the report on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Soares also said that his office is conducting an ongoing criminal investigation on the matter and that they will refrain from further public comment at this time.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki called allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo “abhorrent,” and said President Joe Biden will address the investigations’ findings further in his 4 p.m. ET remarks Tuesday.

“I don’t know that anyone could’ve watched this morning and not found the allegations to be abhorrent. I know I did,” Psaki said when asked about the New York attorney general's investigation. 

Asked whether Biden stands by his comments in March that Gov. Cuomo should resign if the investigation confirmed allegations of harassment, Psaki wouldn’t answer directly, only saying Biden would speak about the issue at 4 p.m. and that she would “not get ahead of his comments.”

Psaki said there have been no conversations Tuesday between the White House and the governor’s office.

Psaki said the message from the White House to the women who came forward with their accounts is that “all women who have lived through sexual… this type of experience, whether it is harassment or abuse or in the worst case, assault, deserve to have their voices heard. Deserve to be treated with respect.”

Some more context: Earlier Tuesday, the New York attorney general’s investigation into sexual harassment allegations found that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.

The office found that Cuomo harassed current and former state employees, as well as a number of women outside of state government, James said, as the office released a lengthy report on the investigation 

James said Tuesday that her investigation found that Cuomo engaged in "unwelcome and nonconsensual touching," and made comments of a "suggestive" sexual nature. James said that the conduct created a "hostile work environment for women."

New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office has provided the State Assembly Judiciary Committee with the report detailing their investigation into New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and will provide them “with all relevant evidence.”

“We will cooperate with their investigation as needed," James said in a statement today.

President Biden did not take questions on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in his first remarks since the state’s attorney general released a report concluding that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women. Biden did say that he would take questions after his Covid-19 vaccine remarks at 4 p.m. ET today. 

“I’m going to be speaking on COVID at 4 o’clock this afternoon and will take questions on COVID and other issues after that,” Biden said when reporters started asking him questions about Cuomo.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio released a statement Tuesday saying that Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign or be impeached immediately if he “continues to resist and attack” those that investigated him.

“It is beyond clear that Andrew Cuomo is not fit to hold office and can no longer serve as governor. He must resign, and if he continues to resist and attack the investigators who did their jobs, he should be impeached immediately,” de Blasio said.

Some more context: An impeachment inquiry by the New York state assembly is ongoing. 

There is another meeting of the judiciary committee overseeing the inquiry on Aug. 9. Part of that will be open to the public then will go into a closed executive session. 

The next step will be for the committee to draft articles of impeachment should they move forward. 

In a new statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Dem. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York reiterated their call for Gov. Cuomo to resign and commended the women who came forward as part of the New York State Attorney General's investigation. 

“No elected official is above the law. The people of New York deserve better leadership in the governor’s office. We continue to believe that the Governor should resign," the two senators said in the statement. 

Here's the full statement:

Three House Democrats from New York — Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Thomas Suozzi and Gregory Meeks — have now issued a joint statement calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign.

"We commend the brave women who came forward and spoke truth to power. The time has come for Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the right thing for the people of New York State and resign," the three members said in the statement.

The three House members had not yet called for the governor's resignation.

Jeffries, who also serves as Democratic caucus chair, had previously said on Twitter that the allegations are “very serious and deeply disturbing” but at the time called for the investigation to continue. And Suozzi and Meeks had previously said that if Cuomo cannot continue to govern effectively, he should resign.

Here's the statement from Reps. Jeffries, Suozzi and Meeks: 

Some more context: Earlier today, Rep. Mondaire Jones, another Democratic representative from New York, called for Cuomo to resign on CNN.