The letter was sent to James’s office by Beth Garvey, special adviser and senior adviser to Cuomo on Monday, and asks James to select an independent law firm to conduct an investigation into “the allegations and circumstances surrounding the allegations. of sexual harassment made against the governor. ”
The letter also instructs all New York state officials to cooperate fully with the review and notes that Cuomo will forgo weekly updates on the investigation, to which he would be entitled.
In a statement, James said that this “is not a responsibility that we take lightly, as allegations of sexual harassment must always be taken seriously”. She said the “findings will be released in a public report”.
James is also investigating how the Cuomo administration handled deaths in Covid-19 nursing homes, and James released a report in January that concluded that the state underestimated deaths related to Covid-19 nursing homes by about 50% .
Cuomo’s office had initially selected former federal judge Barbara Jones to investigate allegations of sexual harassment made against the governor by two former aides, but the choice was publicly rejected by several New York Democrats, who argued that Cuomo should not have no role in shaping the probe.
In a statement on Sunday, Garvey asked James and Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to choose “an independent and qualified lawyer in private practice with no political affiliation” to conduct a “thorough review” and issue a report on the matter in an effort to “avoid even the perception of a lack of independence or inference from politics.”
But that impulse was also rejected by James, who in two statements from his own Sunday made clear the conditions under which his office could conduct an independent investigation.
“To clarify, I don’t accept the governor’s proposal. The state executive clearly gives my office the authority to investigate the matter as soon as the governor provides a reference, ”said James.
“Although I have deep respect for Chief Judge DiFiore, I am the duly elected attorney general and I have a responsibility to carry out this task, in accordance with the Executive Law. The governor must provide this reference so that an independent investigation with subpoena power can be carried out. conducted. “
The growing reaction against Cuomo led him to issue a statement on Sunday night, acknowledging that some of his comments in the workplace “may have been insensitive or very personal” and said he “was really sorry” for those who could have “played badly (the comments) as an unwanted flirtation. “
Cuomo also said he never touched or made inappropriate proposals to anyone.
This is a last-minute story and will be updated.