New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been accused of sexual misconduct against nearly a dozen women after Attorney General Letitia James, earlier this week, released a report that included testimonies of women alleging hostile behaviour of the governor.
However, Cuomo has denied the allegations that were put on him through the report, which was created after nearly four months of investigations.
What implications can the allegations have?
Even though Attorney General James had previously said that the investigation will not consist of a criminal referral, it has created a ripple effect in America’s judicial system. District attorneys of Albany, Westchester County and Manhattan have put in a request for the documents to carry out similar probes, which can potentially carry criminal charges, according to reports from ABC News.
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David Soares, the district attorney for Albany, on Tuesday, tagged the probe against Cuomo as a “developing” matter and further encouraged any more potential victims of the alleged sexual harassment to come forward and contribute. He further explained that his office was currently in the process of reviewing the documents and was determining if any criminal charges should be associated with the allegations.
Cyrus Vance Jr, who is the district attorney for New York’s Manhattan, said in a statement that his office had already requested for the documents to initiate a separate investigation, according to reports from ABC News.
Joyce A. Smith, the acting district attorney of New York’s Nassau County said that he will look for any “potential crimes” as he investigates the situation. He further labelled the outcome of James’ report as “deeply disturbing”.
Even though multiple investigations are already initiated to scrutinise the allegations against Cuomo, the New York Governor does not seem to be backed into a corner in terms of advancing his political career. If not impeached from this position, Cuomo will have the option to run for the 2022 race for the same position.
Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden called on the New York Governor to resign from his position.