State Attorney General Letitia James was formally given the green light Monday to launch an independent investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo – when the government hires a lawyer to represent him in a Justice Department investigation into the treatment of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Today, the executive chamber sent a letter of referral to our office, authorizing us to proceed with an independent investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against Governor Cuomo,” James said in a statement. “This is not a responsibility we take lightly, as allegations of sexual harassment should always be taken seriously. As stated in the letter, the findings will be disclosed in a public report at the end of the review. “
Under state law, James’s office had to request permission from the governor’s office on Sunday morning to investigate the allegations, only for Beth Garvey, Cuomo’s special counsel, to try to negotiate who would appoint an independent investigator.
Under intense bipartisan pressure to allow a truly independent investigation to proceed, Garvey admitted late Sunday and agreed to allow James the referral.
In less than a week, Cuomo, 63, has been accused of sexual harassment by two former staffers – Charlotte Bennett, 25, and Lindsey Boylan, 36 -.
Cuomo apologized on Sunday for what he characterized as ‘jokes’ that he said could be perceived as ‘unwanted flirtation’ while denying he intended to harass anyone and insisting that he had never had inappropriate physical contact , as claimed by Boylan.
In the aftermath of the battle, Senator Todd Kaminsky (D-Nassau) introduced legislation on Monday that would allow the Attorney General to initiate investigations without seeking permission from the governor – to avoid a repeat of the public drama. .
“The attorney general must be empowered to conduct investigations and prosecutions without fear and favor, regardless of the subject,” Kaminsky, a former federal prosecutor, said in a statement announcing the bill.
“Dropping the referral requirement will loosen the hands of the Attorney General – and that agency’s massive resources could help fight corruption and other illegal behavior plaguing Albany and the rest of the state,” he continued. “The time to act is now and the trust of the public and the integrity of our government are demanding nothing less.”
Assemblywoman Monica Wallace (D-Cheektowaga) added in support of the bill: “If the attorney general believes an investigation into the governor is warranted, she doesn’t have to wait for his permission to do so. This legislation would solve the problem by allowing the Attorney General to conduct an investigation himself, without the consent of the executive and oversight, when it believes in good faith that an investigation is appropriate. “
The letter of referral and legislative push came when the executive chamber – which includes both Cuomo and his best aides – held attorney Elkan Abramowitz to represent his interests in the ongoing nursing home scandal.
As The Post reported exclusively last month, Melissa DeRosa, a top aide to Cuomo, admitted to Democratic lawmakers in a closed meeting that the state has deliberately obscured the magnitude of the coronavirus death toll in nursing homes for fear of a possible federal investigation.
The confusion, ironically, has resulted in a Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office investigation that the Cuomo administration had hoped to avoid.
Abramowitz confirmed to The Post that he represents the executive chamber on nursing home affairs, but has not been detained on allegations of sexual harassment.