Sexual harassment claims against Cuomo to be investigated by attorneys appointed by New York AG's office

New York Attorney General Letitia James has ramped up the workplace sexual harassment case against Governor Andrew Cuomo by bringing in two lead attorneys to investigate the allegations.

"We are committed to an independent and thorough investigation of the facts," James said. She called the assigned attorneys "independent, legal experts who have decades of experience conducting investigations and fighting to uphold the rule of law. There is no question that they both have the knowledge and background necessary to lead this investigation and provide New Yorkers with the answers they deserve."

Joon Kim is the former acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Anne Clarks is an attorney specializing in employment discrimination, according to Deadline.

Cuomo has said unequivocally that he would not consider resigning, and that he's done nothing wrong. "There is no way I resign," he said at a press conference on Sunday.

An impeachment resolution was brought by leaders in New York's GOP. Janice Dean, who has been outspoken about Cuomo's COVID policies as regards nursing homes ever since her in-laws both died as a result, she believes, of those practices, has also called for Cuomo's impeachment. Even Democrat leaders in the state have been demanding Cuomo's removal.

Five women have come forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment. The women are Ana Liss, whose claims were published in the Wall Street Journal. The Washington Post published allegations made by Karen Hinton, who worked with Cuomo during his stint as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration.

Lindsay Boylan, currently running for Manhattan Borough President, was the first woman who came forward. She also worked with Cuomo, as did Charlotte Bennett. Anna Ruch alleged sexual harassment as well, and is the only one of the five who did not work with Cuomo.

Cuomo called Hinton a "longtime adversary," and said that "The truth also matters. What she said is not true."

Cuomo has had emergency powers, granted by the New York state legislature, for nearly a year, but lawmakers recently took the first step toward removing those powers.

The sexual harassment scandal has seemed to eclipse ongoing the nursing home scandal, which is also being investigated by the state AG's office. Nearly a year ago, Cuomo issued guidance that instructed nursing homes to accept COVID-positive residents back into the homes after they completed their treatment in hospitals. After a few months, that guidance was reversed and scrubbed from the New York state government website.

It was later revealed through James' investigation that the state underreported deaths in nursing homes by up to 50 percent, and then undertook to cover up that undercount in order to avoid political fallout from the Trump administration.